Coming down from Retcon
by AngelicaDL
Summary: Jack left with the Doctor, Ianto thinking Jack deserved the one he loved, decides to let Torchwood go. Retcon leads Ianto down a path of trouble and the next time they meet it won't be as friends, but as enemies.
1. Ianto's Thoughts

Three weeks after Jack had left a soft sight could be heard from the darkness in his office. The little lights from the computers below were all the light in the hub tonight. To Ianto however the hub had never been more alive. He sat in Jacks chair while relishing in memories. The glass of scotch in his hand half empty by now. Ianto often strived to look happy and positive in front of the others, but within himself he could not help but to see that the world was half empty.

The small green light on Tosh's desk signalized that her computer was locked, but not off. Ianto smiled softly. How many times had he not walked over to her desk before leaving for the night and noticed it was still on. By the end of tiresome days such small details were often forgotten. To night Ianto had not wanted to turn it of for her, the little blinking light was soothing.

When he closed his eyes he could see her tapping furiously at the keyboard tracking the latest threat. She'd nod and give a shy thanks when she received her morning coffee before getting back to work. Gwen would walk by for any words on what was happening. Her heels clicking as she stomped around anxiously looking for something to do. Eventually she might go to bother their doctor some. Opening his eyes he quickly searched out the little corner with a sickbed. The corner had been used for everything from interrogations to dissections. This was Owen's private little kingdom.

Ianto closed his eyes again as he watched the doctor scampering about muttering about lack of proper tools and space. When Ianto came over with his coffee Owen would take it without a word and continue his work. He could get vividly engrossed in his work, many could see it as not caring, but Ianto had always seen it as true dedication. This was something he admired about the doctor. He opened his eyes and took a sip from his bitter drink. The burning in his throat was something he had gotten used to after all the occasions of sharing Jack's bottles. Ianto had learned quickly after meeting him that besides his coffee, this was Jack's favorite drink. They would often sit in the hub after the team had left for the day, have some drinks and talk. Of course this was usually followed by more intimate activities. These memories always gave Ianto a slight blush, but now he was certain the alcohol had something to do with it as well.

Another sip made Ianto realize he could no longer taste the drink. The bitterness still stuck to his mouth, but else how there were no taste at all. Ianto was never one for drama; such things were kept inside for later consideration. So this night, these drinks, were his own private farewell party. He was relishing in the past because soon it would all be gone. He would inform the team tomorrow, everything else had already been taken care of. Ianto had come to greatly appreciate his time with Torchwood, but after all the pain, he was tired.

He had loved, twice. The first had died and the grief had been dreadful. The second had left without a word. Ianto knew many things; after all it was his job. It hadn't taken him long to figure out to whom Jack had gone. Ianto couldn't help but to feel a bit betrayed over the sudden wordless departure. Although he knew he had no right, after all Jack deserved love, a love that would not die on him. What was worse than these feelings was the sadness; He had lost the love of his life, also twice. Theses weren't the only reasons he was choosing to leave though. Friends and civilians had been killed before his eyes. Death was something he was becoming accustomed to and he hated that, one should never be able to shrug of murder like it was nothing. His family was always kept at a distance, which after all had been necessary with this job. The job was also quite time consuming and he rarely found time for anything else. Therefore friend outside the team had become nearly impossible. In the end of the day all Ianto was, all he had was Torchwood. So at the moment he considered his glass half empty. One he desperately craved to be full again.

Ianto pored down the remainder of his drink in a few quick gulps before standing from Jack's chair. The room was spinning around him letting him know he had had a few to many drinks tonight. There was no way he'd make it home, so he did what he had done on some occasions in the past. Although in the past, he used to have company. As he leaned down and opened the hatch to Jack's little bunker he allowed memories of the older man to flood his mind. The bright blue eyes always filled with mischief and the smirk on his lips that appeared when he was scheming. Jack could plot like a master and when he did his eyes were always so full of life. The big coat Jack was so attached to that it almost seemed like a part of his body. The heavy coat had always held a scent Ianto knew only as Jack. As soon as Ianto had made it into the little man cave he let himself fall straight down on the bed. Jack wouldn't mind him staying here for the night, after all he was gone and who knew when or if he was coming back. Before he succumbed to sleep Ianto briefly let himself wonder if Jack would notice. If he came back, would he recognise Ianto's scent, as Ianto did his?


	2. Jack's return and Ianto's escape

Note: After Ianto's thoughts while Jack is still gone, the fic will continue from the beginning of kiss kiss bang bang. John Hart will have been delayed with about a month and won't make an appearance. Not because I don't adore the guy, but because he don't fit in my story line.

* * *

Weeks later Jack returned. The team had been on a wild chase after a blow fish that had come through the rift when he had appeared. Now everyone was back at the hub and Jack was looking curiously at him team. They were moving quickly and talking back and forth at an equally sped up pace. Apparently they had been handling this well, although they seemed more stressed than he had ever seen them. The business with the blow fish had wired them and now they where flying around the room trying to make sure there was no after effects.

"Got pretty organized without me." Jack said feeling mildly impressed while standing awkwardly in a corner.

"Yeah, well we had to." Gwen replied with a cranky tone, still refusing to look at him.

"Hey, did you decorate in here?" Obviously the wrong thing to say as Gwen stormed up to him. She shoved him so he slammed against the wall. At least she was looking at him.

"You left us, Jack!" She yelled out angrily and Jack felt a pang of guilt.

"I know. I'm sorry." The rest of the team had gathered around them. Owen looked accusatory at him and Tosh as always took the careful note.

"Where were you?" She asked in a quiet voice. Jack hesitated before letting a rather sad looking smile cross his face.

"I found my Doctor."

"Did he fix you?" Owen asked carefully, after all, he knew this was a sensitive subject for the captain.

"What's to fix? You don't mess with this level of perfection!" Jack said, trying to turn it into a joke, plastering a big smile on his face. _So, that's a no then_, Owen thought bitterly. Tosh spoke up again with a worried frown on her face.

"Are you going back to him?" Jack felt the guilt bubbling back up as his face fell.

"I came back for…" He begun before stopping to look confused at his team. " Where's Ianto?"

They all suddenly became very silent as they passed nervous glances between each other. Tosh looked very taken with her shoes for some reason, but she was still the first to answer. She mumbled her reply while keeping her eyes downcast.

"A few weeks after you left, he quit." Jack's face lit up with bewilderment.

"Quit, what do you mean quit?" His voice far louder than he had intended for, which he then felt bad about considering his own recent actions.

"Quit as in got a new job, then dosed himself with enough retcon to remove all of Torchwood from his memory and left." Owen replied crankily, clearly not as forgiving as Tosh.

"And you let him?" His face filled with disbelief.

"As opposed to what Jack? He didn't want to work here anymore." Gwen answered in an exasperated voice.

"What were we supposed to do? Dump him in a nice private cell next to Janet until he changed his mind?" Owen said venomously before turning for the kitchen area.

He was starved and would have time for a snack before the body of the blow fish cooled and would have to be taken to the morgue. Gwen shook her head before going with him while Tosh went back to her desk.

Starting to realize he had a lot to make up for, Jack let out a heavy breath before heading up to his office. Jack didn't like this, to many people lost from Torchwood. After he lost his entire team back before 2000 he had promised himself never to let Torchwood destroy another team member. Then Suzie happened, murdering, threatening to shoot Gwen and then she was gone. Now Ianto was also missing. _Although he technically got retired, sort of._ That wasn't really what was bothering him thought. It was because it was Torchwood's fault and also because of him. Jack really didn't like this.

After a few hours' used to catch up on work, and push a certain archivist out of his mind, Jack went to get some rest. Something he regretted shortly after lying down in. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something there reminded him of Ianto. The room consisted of only the small sleeping area. There was nothing in here that should remind him, yet the man was back in his mind. The polished appearance and stern look would not leave him alone. It didn't take Jack long to surrender his mind. As he closed his eyes he pictured the Welshman. His clean shaved face, bright eyes and the playful smirk Jack had grown to love. That night Jack did not sleep much at all.

Over the next few days Jack took back control of the hub. People forgave him, although Tosh was quicker than the rest. None of them were capable of holding grudges for long times, especially not the petite Asian woman. He kept trying to ask about Ianto, but was always meet with half angry glares and quick replies. Like "Don't", "leave it" or "Don't you dare Harkness". Problem was just that Jack had never been known to take orders well and he could be very nosy. It didn't take him long to search thought Tosh's files after she left for the day. He quickly found what he was looking for.

* * *

At a small diner at the edge of Cardiff Ianto Jones was at work. The diner looked a little old and run down, but to Ianto that was just because it had history. Worn wooden furnishing and dim lighting gave a very private feel to the area. The private dining booths along the wall emphasized on this feeling. The dusty dry air took some getting used to. He was currently heading back to wipe a coffee spill of the counter. A familiar military coat came in thought the door, Jack Harkness. The mysterious stranger seemingly determined to get under his skin. He'd been coming by nearly every day for the last week, flirting and chatting. Ianto rather liked the attention. He had just recently lost over three years of his life. Doctor, _what was it again? Right,_ doctor Harper had told him it was a car crash.

After a talk with his sister he discovered much about himself, but less than he would have liked. He had apparently lived in London for many years, thought he couldn't actually remember London at all. Until he recently moved back to Cardiff, first he had worked in a tourist office, but apparently he had decided to quit. When he tried to inquire about it she said it had seemed like it saddened him to leave, but had never told her anything beyond that.

Ianto had also asked her about relationships, but she had answered with a doubtful no. There might have been someone for a while in London, but he had never talked much about that either. For the first time in his life, or at least he thought it was the first, Ianto wished he was less of a private person. This privacy made him lonely, and Jack, was exactly what Ianto thought he needed. Someone determined to get his attention, willing to fight to break through his shell and was thoroughly interested in the person beneath.

Jack smiled at him as he started walking over. When he reached him he brushed his elbow softly to get his attention. Not knowing he had had Ianto's attention since he walked through the door. Ianto had been watching him out of the corner of his eye yet had made no signs to show he'd noticed him. Ianto liked the small touches and what better way to make Jack give them. The thought at his own deviousness made Ianto blush a bit.

"You're on brake now, right? Want to sit down for a cup?" Jack asked with a hopeful smile. He had made sure to ask Ianto when his brake time was after they first meet, the question had caught Ianto by surprise so he had answer without hesitation.

"Soon anyhow, I'll be there in a moment sir, please take seat." Sir? Where the hell had that come from? Oh well, from the grin on Jack's face he obviously didn't mind.

"Sure, just don't be to long, or I might just take liberties when you show." He gave a playful wink, as Ianto was desperately trying to keep his face blank.

"Ah, you harass out of boredom often then I take it?"

"Usually people don't make me wait. I'm way to handsome for that, don't you think?" Jack's grin turned impish. Ianto felt the corners of his mouth twitch upwards. A smile was fighting its way out and despite Ianto's attempt to hold it back.

"A first thing for everything, sir."

"Jack." He replied, Ianto rarely used his name, so Jack felt the need to remind him every once in a while. Ianto turned around to remind Beth about his brake. She tended to forget these things. It even surprised him that she remembered closing time. Beth was a bit, ehm, fickle. About five minutes later he came back and sat down opposed to Jack. The café had nice booths with seats of red leather. Well, not real leather, but as far as the manager was concerned, appearance was all that mattered.

"Your coffee is heaven, Ianto, really a gift."

"How did you know I made it?" He had, but that was hardly the point. Beth had wanted a quick trip to the ladies room before his brake so he had filled the coffee while she was out.

"Second sight." Ianto wondered if that grin was permanently plastered to his face. " And I might have come over to stare at you when you where fiddling with coffee machine in a _very_ flattering position" Ianto had to give a little laugh at that. Jack was always smiling and flirting, not that Ianto minded, but he seemed a little too happy. During their talks every once in a while when Jack didn't know Ianto was looking his expression would change. Jack would look depressed, Ianto could even swear he had seen disappointment at times. It made him think that maybe he was hiding something. A ridiculous thought made of paranoia, but one he could not shake.

"Would you like to have dinner with me? This place is very cozy and all, but maybe somewhere French fries and toast isn't on the menu?" This Ianto had not expected, his eyebrows probably looked like they where trying to reach his hairline. Jack's grin was gone now. He actually seemed nervous, carrying a small smile and furrowed brows.

"Are you asking me on a date Jack?"

"Jack, hm, finally. And is that a yes?" He looked like he was contemplating the first part before showing another careful smile.

"Possibly" Jack's grin grew back in place. Ianto felt happy and was sporting quite the grin himself. Jack took this as encouragement and placed his hand on Ianto's, sending a flash of electricity through him. Ianto knew this hand. At Jack's touch his grin faltered and a shocked expression took it's place. Jack looked worried, very worried. Ianto's head started spinning. He had to run. He just knew he had to get away from this man. Grief and a stab of betrayal bubbled up inside him.

"Ianto, are you okay?"

"No I, Jack… I need to go." He was stammering. It sounded ridiculous. Ianto frowned at his own behavior before he tore his hand away from Jack's.

"Go, what do you mean go?" Confusion was evident in Jack's voice.

"I just have to, I just…"

Ianto stood up so quickly the table rocked. The sudden movement caused Jack's cup too tip, spilling hot coffee all over his shirt and coat. Ianto was already half way out the door, when he heard a loud swear in pain behind him. Jack looked up, quickly scanning the room. When he saw Ianto right outside the window he panicked forgetting all about his soaked clothes. Jack got up with the full intention of chasing him down. Beth the waitress stepped out in front of him. Of all the days she could have chosen to pay attention to anything.

"Are you planning to pay for that?"

-'`

Ianto half ran as soon as he spotted the cab, getting in with far more ease that he expected from himself considering how fast his head was spinning. He felt high, and not in the good way. Looking out the window he saw Jack rushing towards him.

"Drive, anywhere, I don't care just please drive." The last half of his sentence sounded almost like a whine, but at this time Ianto didn't care.

* * *

Back at the hub Jack looked at the computer. He had found Ianto fairly easy, he couldn't ask his team knowing they would ask too many questions. Tosh had made the searching programs fairly idiot friendly for times she wasn't around. Sure she had not used those words. Tosh was far too sensitive and good nature for that, but that was the essence of it. He sped of to the SUV and started driving towards the motel Ianto had held himself up in.

When he got there, Jack stepped out to look at the building. The Office was on the left side and rooms on the right. All the rooms had private entrances. He was searching the widows to find a clue to where Ianto was staying, although he knew that was way to optimistic. He made a discovery today, a great one, Ianto had remembered something. Jack didn't know what, but he had remembered, however slight it was Jack now knew there was a chance they could get Ianto back.

Maybe he should go to the office and ask which room Ianto was in. Though he couldn't just go up there and say; Ianto, do you remember that you drugged yourself to forget about our alien catching underground organization yet?

Jack let out a sigh as he realized he didn't know what to say. He had no clue what had gone through the Welshman's head let along how to fix this. After several debates with himself and numerous suggestions on what to say and what not to say, he decided to leave. He'd let Ianto cool down for the night and come by in the morning. It would make for an easier conversation if he remembered more as well.

What Jack didn't know was that he wasn't the only one who had tracked Ianto tonight. Right after he left two people in black suits went towards one of the rooms. They had been watching the place since their goal for the evening had appeared after they followed him from his apartment. The two knew exactly which room to find their target in.


	3. Incomplete revelations

Author note: Next chapter will have to be extra short, but have a double release, or almost double the size of the two last chapters. I haven't quite decided yet. What do you people think? Any review is a happy author :)

* * *

Ianto looked at himself in the mirror opposing the bed he was sitting on. His eyes red rimmed and skin sickly pale. He had freaked out; he had to get away from Jack, although he had no idea why. After the cab ride his head had calmed a little. He had the cabbie let him of at his apartment before he got in his car and started driving. There hadn't had a specific place in mind, but the drive had been soothing. It had gotten dark outside and he realized he was exhausted.

The doorbell rang and his head snapped up, hands inching, he felt like he needed to reach for a weapon. That was silly though; he hadn't held a weapon in his life, had he? What made him the most concerned was that few would have a reason to look for him and none of them should have the resources to actually find him. He was in a random motel in the middle of nowhere after all. Slowly standing up he went to the door carefully. His nerves were still on edge. All these sudden feeling and thoughts had shaken him. Ianto felt sadness and grief thought the reason behind the feelings eluded him.

"Yes?" At least his voice was back to normal. The first voice was that of a female. She sounded a bit young.

"Hello, I'm agent Lloyd and I'm here with agent Blackwell. We're from an official governmental group called UNIT. We need to speak to you." That got his interest, A few days earlier he would have assumed it was some sort of hoax, but now he knew something called the UNIT. Although from where was still a mystery. The uncertainty was getting increasingly annoying.

"What does the government want with me?"

"Mr. Jones" The woman, agent Lloyd said. " We wouldn't bother you unless it was urgent. We're worried about your safety."

At this Ianto opened the door and let them in. Agent Lloyd was first to enter, carrying a warm smile. She looked like she was in her late twenties. A rather petite woman. She had shoulder length brown hair with soft curls, big bright blue eyes and a smallish button nose. The man, agent Blackwell, looked to be in his forties. His hair grey and cut short, angry beady eyes and a hawk's nose. Tall and muscled. He looked more like he should be wearing army slacks instead of the plain black suits the agents were dressed in.

"Please sit down. Would you like something to drink?" It never hurt being polite. It tended to make people open to give more answers, and that was something Ianto sorely needed now. Lloyd sat down at the edge of the worn bed. The man seemed perfectly fine leaning against the wall right inside the door.

"What do you have?" Agent Lloyd answered in an amused tone. Apparently she was not used to people who would react like that. Government agents at their motel doors at the middle of the night with warnings of danger, what do we do? Offer them something to drink.

"Eh, all I can offer right now is water I'm afraid. I'm not sure of the quality though considering the cleanliness of this place." Agent Lloyd gave a mild laugh at that.

"Well then, no thank you Mr. Jones, I rather appreciate my health." Agent Blackwell rolled his eyes impatiently before cutting in.

"What do you know about a Captain Jack Harkness?"

"An acquaintance, why?" _Jack? What would they want from him? And if they do want him, why are they here? _Ianto glared at them suspiciously. Agent Lloyd took a deep breath before shooting an annoyed glare at her partner. Obviously she thought he'd been too blunt. She turned her eyes back to Ianto, though now she seemed uncertain.

"Please, we want to help, you were at a café with him before you stormed out, and may I ask why?" The agent lady's voice was soft and careful. Ianto shrugged and put his hands carelessly in his pockets.

"Diner, but why does that matter?" This whole conversation was making less and less sense.

"It's important Mr. Jones. We'll answer any questions you have after." Lloyd was trying to be gentle about this Ianto realized and suddenly he was worried about what they might have come to tell him tonight.

"I don't really know to be quite honest. I couldn't stay, I don't know why; I simply couldn't be around him." He was looking down at his shoes, still slightly ashamed at his previous actions.

"Good" The gruff reply from Blackwell made his head snap back up.

"Good?" Blackwell continued speaking in a tone that made it quite clear he didn't like Ianto much.

"Jack Harkness is a very dangerous man, Mr. Jones, your actions shows you still have some sense of self preservation. This is good" He finished his sentence with a huff at the end, like if this was something Ianto should have understood on his own. Lloyd set Blackwell another little glare. At least Ianto wasn't the only one who was starting to resent this man.

"What my partner is trying to say is, we want to help, but we had to know you were open to it. You showed this today which is why we decided now to come and try to ease the situation for you."

Ianto started rubbing his temples, trying to wrap his head around this. After a few moments he decided to comply and dropped his hands down to rest along his side. It's not like he had any clear answers himself.

"All right then, how is he dangerous?" He stared right at agent Lloyd hoping she would be the one to answer and she didn't disappoint him.

"Do you remember a girl named Lisa Hallett?"

Vaguely familiar, Ianto knew the name, but couldn't seem to pinpoint it. He felt like he should know it though. At a loss for what to say he settled for a simple answer.

"No."

Agent Lloyd pulled a picture out from her pocket and placed it on the bed next to her. Ianto walked over and picked up the picture before sitting down next to her. His head was hurting again and as much as he tried pushing it away some things kept seeping through. It him and Lisa, she was beautiful, with dark hair and eyes. She had a lovely smile and was wrapping her arms around Ianto, who looked happier than he ever remembered being. She was looking into the camera as he leaned his forehead against the side of her head. Looking at the picture he thinks, no, he knows he loved her. He also realizes she's dead. The grief bubbled up inside him, but Ianto pushed it to the back of his head. He didn't want to remember this.

"She was your girlfriend and Jack Harkness murdered her." Blackwell bluntly said with a bored expression on his face. Apparently he thought Ianto had taken to long.

Ianto looked up, at a loss of words. Jack? Jack was his friend he was always nice and asking him how he was doing. A grinning dufus at times, but a murderer? Was this why he had felt the betrayal and grief when Jack touched him? Is this why he had felt the urge to run? He was freaking out again, not just because of what they had told him, but because he did know Jack murdered Lisa. Ianto hated this, he felt like his head were only giving him pieces of a story he was trying to forget. It was confusing and unsettling; a hand on his arm reset his focus to the now.

"Let me explain Ianto." She let out a quiet sigh before continuing. " You were working for an organization named Torchwood, with Lisa. Harkness was your boss, Lisa was exposed to alien technology…"

"Alien?" It burst out of Ianto before he could stop it.

"Let her finish you can yell and go into denial later." Blackwell said with an annoyed expression back on his face. Ianto began realizing this must be one of the man's favorite expressions. _Where were we? Right, Aliens?_ Lloyd continued.

"She was still herself, smiling and caring Lisa. The thing is just that she was in so much pain. You tried to help her, but Captain Harkness decided to deal with her himself, he murdered her in cold blood, after her death the two of you started a relationship." At this Ianto felt a wave of rage.

"Why would I have any kind of relationship with the person who murdered my girlfriend?" _At least he didn't doubt a relationship with a man_, agent Blackwell thought to himself with a smirk. Lloyd replied again.

"You didn't know Ianto, He was your caring boss trying to help you through grief. You found out, took a heavy dose medication, called retcon, meant to erase your memory and ran away."

"Apparently not far enough then." Ianto mumbled under his breath, agent Lloyd probably hadn't even heard him. She showed no signs of such at least.

"This is why we're here, we were worried he'd hurt you Ianto, We've watched him for a while now. He knows you found out about Lisa, and we were afraid of what he'd do."

"He's dangerous" Blackwell cut in with a death glare at Ianto. " We need to stop him before he hurt's someone else."

* * *

Jack came back to the hub a couple of hours after leaving the motel, but looking up Ianto's location he felt a sharp stab of shook. He was gone. The signal, Jack couldn't find it. He must have trashed his phone, but why? How the hell where they supposed to track him now? There was no choice; he would have to bring Owen and Tosh into it. It was Gwen's day of, besides two people yelling at him would probably be better than three. He needed his team to help fix this. Right now Jack was feeling beyond guilty. If he had listened to them, when they so adamantly said don't, maybe Ianto wouldn't have ran of on his own.

"Let me get this straight. You went to teaboy's new job scared the crap out of him, so he threw his coffee cup at you. Then he ran of and is currently by his boss and collages considered missing and after your little stunt, you'll be the prime suspect if it becomes an official police case?"

"He didn't throw it, it tipped." Jack knew the guilt was written all over his face, but neither Owen nor Tosh seemed to take pity in that as they stared at him in disbelief.

"Bloody doesn't matter Harkness, why couldn't you just leave well enough alone?" Owen began looking pissed.

"Fine, so I messed up okay? He remembered something and we need to make sure he is okay."

"He wanted to get away from you, right? Maybe he just drove to the next town and plans to move on with his life." After that comment from Owen, Tosh decided to break in. Jack had talked to her first and knew she had done some digging to check for something suspicious.

"I hacked into the cameras in the hotel. They have one by the entrance of the office and through the window I could see Ianto's car. Lucky, I guess, that he choose to park there."

"If he went to the next town he did so on foot. Now why would he do that when he has a perfectly good car right outside?" Jack said in triumph while looking over his team with a smug smile. Owen gave an exasperated sight before answering.

"Maybe he called a friend or Hitchhiked? He ditched his phone so you couldn't track him so he probably knew you could trace down the car as well." Jack smile fell. This wasn't going the way he wanted it to. After a short pause he continued.

"Listen mate, I think you might be overreacting."

"So you're going to abandon your friend when he could be in danger?" Jack realized this was a feeble attempt, but things were getting very frustrating. Tosh started answering while adamantly staring at the table.

"I don't think he's in danger, you said he remembered something and the old Ianto knew how to take care of himself. He probably just needs to be alone for a bit."

"Tosh, find him. I want to know where he's gone." An unfair demand, but Jack was determined to be able to keep an eye on him. Her face snapped up to look at him.

"Jack…" She begun in a low voice, but Jack ignored her. He rushed out of the boardroom as anger welled up inside him, not at Owen or Tosh, but at himself. Maybe he should have left well enough alone, but now it was too late. Things were messy and Jack was worried. Ianto wasn't the type to run. The first panic attack as weird memories returned to him he could get, but to dump his car, phone and flee society was different. He let out a sigh as he began feeling drained. Maybe they were right. Maybe he was acting like a paranoid ass clinging on to someone who wanted to be left alone. Jack had no intention to stop looking for him, but once Ianto was found, maybe he would leave it at that. Perhaps it was time to give him his breath of fresh air.


	4. The boss makes a play

The agents had stayed true to their word; in the SUV on the way into the heart of Cardiff they had told Ianto about Torchwood. They were an organization harboring many dangerous aliens of different species. Ianto still had a tough time wrapping his head around that, Aliens. The coffee they had waiting for him in the car had helped a bit though, at least it had removed his throbbing headache. Torchwood also covered up murders and considered themselves above law. Ianto had apparently been very lucky. Torchwood employees didn't leave alive. They worked there until they disappeared and weren't heard from ever again, not by the outside world at least.

They had driven him to a huge skyscraper that they had called the S.C.T. building. He and agent Lloyd had taken the elevator up 9 floors. The more he saw of the building the less creativity he felt the owner had. Everything was glass, metal or white. It all looked new, like they had just had a full building renovation. The floors where mostly marble and agent Lloyd's heels made loud click's as they went out off the elevator. A short walk later he was lead to a door and handed a key by the woman.

"After you Mr. Jones" She studied his face looking for a reaction to the place. Ianto as usual kept his face blank. He looked around the room as he entered and it was in pristine condition. It looked as new and sterile as the rest of the building. There was a small kitchen corner to his left, with steel fridge, oven and white benches. To his right there where a white couch with steel frames, a small coffee table and a TV. A bookshelf was placed next to the couch. Tall walls made the already big room feel very open. The whole wall in front of him was covered in three big windows. The view showed just how far up they were.

"A little steep for a government agency." Ianto made no effort to cover up the fact that he was fishing. Agent Lloyd didn't look like she minded though and answered without hesitation.

"This place was not acquired by UNIT, but by a third independent party with an interest in the case."

"I didn't know governmental units could do that, accept donations from civilians." That changed Lloyd's previously open expression into something more guarded. Maybe she hadn't expected him to question her anymore than that. That made Ianto smile a bit.

"Usually we can't, but our employer and this third-party has something in common. They both know a threat when they see one. So we decided cooperation was preferred." That was unusual, if true. A warm smile reappeared on Lloyd's face.

"Just remember Ianto, our foremost priority is to keep you safe." This answer seemed honest, even if the previous one hadn't.

"And your third-party?"

"Let's just say you're not the first person to be victimized by Captain Harkness and Torchwood." She looked away as her smile fell.

" Now, this will be your home until the situation has been resolved. After that you can go anywhere and start fresh. The place is completely safe; all security is controlled and monitored by the new owner." Lloyd changed subject. To Ianto it became quite obvious that she didn't want to talk about the mysterious boss of hers'. Maybe Ianto weren't the only one in doubt.

"Which would be the third-party?" Lloyd did not answer this, not that Ianto expected her too, so he continued.

"I don't understand what makes your employer think I am important enough to go to such lengths. And does this person perhaps have a name?" Lloyd let out a deep breath before turning to him to answer.

"Our employer, as you say, thinks you might be able to help. After all, you worked for Harkness for quite a while Ianto. As for names you'll know if it becomes necessary." She was beginning to seem a bit frustrated now so Ianto figured it might be better to leave it for the time being.

"There's coffee in the middle cupboard over there" Lloyd said as she gestured to the kitchen.

"Apparently you're quite the coffee expert." Her smile came back in place, but looking far more tired than it had earlier. Ianto figured he was to fault in that so perhaps it was time for a different tune.

"Agent Lloyd, I'm grateful for your help. It's just been a long day I suppose." The woman seemed surprised at his change of tone. Then her face turned to one of gratitude as she realized the inquisition had passed.

"No worries, Mr. Jones. Perhaps a warm cup will help."

"I'm sure it will, thank you." Ianto offered a small smile as a sign of their recently established truce. A smile Lloyd returned before turning to leave.

"Oh, wait, before I forget…" She said before spinning back around.

"There are some pages on the table, from your diary. Before you ask, our employer has connections. We couldn't get the whole thing since Harkness has it and would notice if it went missing. We'll have to hope a few pages aren't noticed." Ianto's eyebrows went up, this was unexpected. It did seem to be the day for such though.

"He has my diary; I'm going to assume he's read it? Jack did seem like the type who couldn't keep his fingers to himself." The last half came out as not much more than mumbling as Ianto contemplated how he should feel about this. Lloyd gave a look of pity before speaking.

"You need rest Ianto, the bedroom is through the door over there next to the couch

And the bathroom thought the door by the kitchen. Make yourself at home and we'll see you in the morning, okay?" Ianto gave a curtly nod.

"Right then, thank you again agent. Good night" Lloyd started walking towards the door before saying a soft 'goodnight' in return.

Ianto was torn between tossing himself down on the couch and making coffee. He was exhausted, but his caffeine addiction demanded attention. A silent sigh escaped as he walked over to the kitchen. The coffee in the car had been far too weak and tasted like a mixture of paper and water. As he was putting on the machine he realised it looked familiar, probably a similar model to something he had owned in the past. The machine he had in his apartment was different so maybe in London. After the coffee was done he brought the cup with him to the couch. He sat down and picked up the small pages.

It was most certainly his handwriting. He had definitely written this. The pages were mostly about Lisa, about happy memories they had together. There were also mentions of the pain she had been in. The depression Ianto had lapsed into because of her state, he had tried so hard to help her, but she was suffering. He hadn't gone into much detail though he did mention a Dr. Tanizaki, a cybernetics expert and possible Lisa's salvation. This made Ianto wonder, what kind of alien technology had she been exposed to?

A doctor named Owen and a technical genius named Tosh were mentioned on some paragraphs. Apparently Owen kept leaving his coffee cups everywhere and was famous for snarky comments. Tosh was described as the quiet sort, but a good friend. Ianto wished he could remember them, they seemed like interesting people. The pages also mentioned Jack; apparently he had flirted like crazy even before Lisa died. Ianto had liked him quite a bit. He had felt drawn to him, but Lisa was always in the back of his mind. Sipping from his coffee he scanned the pages repeatedly, trying to understand what Jack was thinking, but he couldn't. There were no clues here other than the fact that Jack had liked him, Ianto loved Lisa and Lisa needed to be saved.

* * *

As Lloyd entered, the boss was standing facing the window at the far end of the room. A long meeting table was placed in the middle of the room and agent Blackwell was already sitting. Unlike the rest of the building, this room consisted of wood and dark leather. This was where potential buyers were brought and the room was meant to give them a more traditional feel. When the figure spoke Lloyd almost jumped. The boss had always made her nervous and itchy. Normally she wouldn't work for such an employer but the money was just too good to refuse. Besides it was for a good cause. Torchwood was an organization with far too many recourses and toys to work outside of the law. Also, they harboured dangerous aliens.

"Agent Lloyd how kind of you to join us. Tell me, how is our guest doing?" The tone was patronizing and accompanied by a cold smile which she saw when the boss turned around.

"He's handling this far better than we would have expected, I gave him the pages you acquired." She tried standing as straight as she could and kept her tone professional.

"And the drugs?" The boss questioned.

"The coffee was laced with it. We'll see if they're working tomorrow." After Lloyd finished, she heard a loud snort from Blackwell. She really didn't like that man. He started speaking in a gruff voice.

"If they don't, we'll have one hysterical archivist on our hands, orders should that happen?"

"Take him to the sub base and lock him up, but for now, I really want the drugs to work. Agent Lloyd, he'll be your responsibility during his stay. Protect him well. Dismissed." The final tone left no room for arguments. Lloyd could not understand why someone so cold would worry about Ianto. As the two agents closed the door after leaving, their boss murmured softly.

"Oh Jack, I'm not giving up just jet, let's see what happens when you have to kill your dear Ianto. Maybe you'll see my side of things then."

* * *

Standing outside Ianto's door agent Lloyd was a bit torn. He seemed like a good guy and she didn't like lying like this. From his insistent questions though she believed he might have figured it out anyway. He was not as blank as he had looked. Her boss had said that if Mr. Jones thought them nothing more than mercenaries he might not feel inclined to stick around. So they had said they where UNIT, even thought she had quit that job years ago. UNIT could be so brutal and vicious, hardly better than Torchwood, even though they liked to think so. Lloyd had left and now she was free to choose her own employers and assignments and she rather liked this one, at least the assignment. As the door swung open the sight of a wide awake Ianto in jeans and a red shirt greeted her.

"Good morning Ianto."

Ianto looked at the cherry looking agent Lloyd at the door, the suit was gone. Instead she was wearing a plain white shirt, with leather shoulder holsters strapped on top. She looked more relaxed today with pair of tired jeans and sneakers.

"Hello, agent Lloyd. Where's your partner?"

"Intel gathering." She walked past him into the room with a happy smile on her face. "You wouldn't happen to have something in that fridge of yours, would you? I didn't get to pick up breakfast on the way." Ianto laughed mildly as she opened the fridge and then looked curiously inside. He walked up to the kitchen as well.

"I was planning to prepare some toast for myself, want some?" Ianto asked as he walked past her and reached for the shelves he had found bread on. Everything seemed to have been put in only hours before he arrived. The bread still smelled fresh.

"That, Ianto, would be great. I'm starved." She had a big grin on her face as she turned towards him. Afterwards she started moving to sit on one of the bar stools which allowed some of the benches to act as a dining area. She watched him over the benches as he turned to speak.

"Coffee agent?"

"Please call me Madison and no thanks, allergic. But a little water wouldn't be amiss." Ianto smiled again. She had just walked over to rummage through his fridge yet she would ask nicely for water. The agent was clearly the type to act first and think later.

"Of course…" After a slight pause he added; "Madison." He tuned around as he continued his work. Not before long she began again.

"So how's your head?"

"Excuse me?" Ianto asked without turning this time. He felt his brows furrow trying to figure out what that was supposed to mean. Thankfully it didn't take Madison long to clarify.

"You got dosed with a pretty strong erase memory drug; it wearing of could be painful."

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you. No more memories have returned, perhaps what I remembered were stress induced, I was quite exhausted yesterday. The drug itself seems to not be wearing of after all. At least not so far." Then Ianto turned around placing a plate and a glass of water in front of her. He then grabbed his own plate, a coffee cup and made his way over to sit down.

"Maybe, Thanks for breakfast." She said quietly looking at him carefully while he took the first sip of his coffee. _We were able to stop it just in time it seems_. His memories coming back could hurt him quite a lot, a shame, but for now not remembering was a good thing.

As they ate breakfast they chatted a bit about family, life and jobs. It was a light tone despite everything that had happened yesterday. Madison also told him groceries and such would be delivered to his door. For his own safety he shouldn't leave the building until they knew more about the situation. After they finished breakfast Madison was determined to show Ianto something. They took the elevator down to the second floor were she lead him to a big room with cardboard targets in the far end.

"You have a shooting range? Impressive." Ianto thought this was a bit strange for a civilian structure. Although, as he had seen on his way here, they did have far more guards then he would have thought as well. Madison gave a light laugh and looked proudly around the room.

"Yeah well. It comes in handy. The weapons are over there pick one." She pointed towards the wall at their right. Ianto's eyebrows rose as he stared quizzically at her.

"Me? Why? I haven't held a gun in my life." Madison look down at her shoes for a moment before carefully looking up.

"Yes, you have Ianto. You got weapon training from Captain Harkness." Ianto paused for a moment, before letting his face slip into a blank mask.

"Then I'd rather not, I will have nothing more to do with Jack, let alone his training." Madison showed a sympathetic smile.

"Look, if he comes after you, he will be carrying a gun. I don't think it'll be necessary, but as a precaution, I really think you should consider this. You won't need to walk around with a gun, just know how to use one if the need arises." Madison paused for a moment before adding. "Besides this is _my_ training."

Ianto let out deep breath and looked towards the steel table by the wall. If Jack really was a danger to him maybe this would be a smart move. At least knowing how to hold a gun couldn't hurt. He turned his head back. Madison was looking at him, studying his expression carefully.

"Alright, shall we?" He gestured towards the weapons table as he started walking.

Madison smiled brightly; she really had a presence that lit up the room. It made you want to trust her. She seemed too nice for mercenary work, and yes, Ianto had his doubts the government was involved at all. Ianto couldn't help but to consider that she might have been hired for the purpose of gaining his trust. If that was the case, was she trying to manipulate him by playing nice, or did she honestly not know?

As he picked up the gun he held it for a moment just trying to feel the cold slightly heavy metal in his hand. She was right; he had held a gun before. Images of Jack invaded his mind, the flirty man so full of life that he had come to appreciate during his time working at the diner. Things had gotten so messed up since then. A few days ago he would never have been able to even consider Jack in such a light, but now he was filled with doubt. A hand was placed on his elbow and he turned his head meeting the worried expression of Madison. Then he realized he'd been staring at the gun for a little while now.

"Sorry, I got lost in thought." His voice was less audible than before.

"Happens." She replied as a sweet smile graced her face. Her crystal clear blue eyes reminded him of Jack. He still remembered the stab of betrayal he had felt when Jack had touched his hand and began feeling angry.

"Right then." Ianto said as he pulled away. "Let us se how this goes." He walked determinedly over to the yellow markings on the floor showing where to stand, leaving a confused Madison in his wake. Ianto aimed and pulled the trigger.

* * *

**A week later at S.C.T  
**

"Yes?" Blackwell asked as he entered his boss's office in the sub base. This was his night of. He hated having nothing to do, so he had been at the shooting range. A message had been passed to him through one of the scientist, since phones didn't work down here. Blackwell didn't mind though, people chatting away on phones was not only distracting, but annoying.

"We have a rat, take care of it." The boss didn't even bother looking up from the forms on the desk. Scribbling with one hand and using the other to point at a brown folder at the edge of the steel desk. Blackwell opened the folder to look inside. There was personal information and a little picture. "For the next week I will be gone, Intel gathering, do not contact me until I return. " He gave a slight grunt and a nod before turning to leave, seemed he'd be busy to night after all.

* * *

Tosh had worked for a week trying to track down Ianto now. Jack had been insistent that she found him. After she found some a surveillance camera from an ATM recording him entering a building with two people in suits, she began thinking he might have been right. Ianto was dearly missed, but he deserved his freedom. Jack had assured her he thought the same after he had calmed down a bit. Then she started looking for him for real, thinking it wouldn't hurt just to keep an eye on him. After what she had found out, she'd started getting worried.

The building was privately owned and she was trying to figure out who and why. The who, she hadn't come across yet. The why, was easier. The owner was using the building as a research station for rare artifacts. The items were being sold to the highest bidder, making the owner filthy rich. Tosh had also been trying to figure out what kind of artefacts could be worth so much money. If it was just art or something why would they need so much research equipment? Jack had insisted she went home to get some sleep, there was nothing more they could do about it tonight anyway and she was very tired. After several attempts to convince him she was fine and one time nearly falling asleep by her desk she'd given in. When she had gotten home, she couldn't sleep. There where so many questions to answer, so her curiosity got the better of her.

"Yes!" Tosh exclaimed loudly as she managed to bypass yet another firewall and broke into their system. Sending her arms out to her sides in joy she nearly tipped one of the 3 coffee cups on her desk. After muttering a little 'ops' she went back to work. First thing she did was to enter their camera feeds to look for clues. She went thought a couple before she found something that made her breath catch. Staring at the picture she couldn't believe what she was seeing. This couldn't wait. She had to call Jack, now. Her fingers were shaky as she dialled the number.

"Jack, you won't believe…" Tosh's voice broke for a second. "I can't even believe it."

"Tosh, what's wrong, what have you found?" Of course Jack would realize she kept looking despite his orders. He didn't sound mad though just worried.

"This is no coincidence, Jack I saw…"

Tosh was cut of as the door to her apartment slammed open and people charged into the room. They looked like a swat team, but without the swat marks. Tosh quickly raised her arms and spread them slightly outwards signalling surrender. Jack was yelling from the phone, he had obviously heard the commotion. A man stepped out from behind the team pointing combat rifles at her. He was an angry-looking man with an annoyed glare. Tosh swallowed. His attitude and face looked like it belonged to an army veteran, making the suit seem oddly out-of-place. The man pulled out a gun and pointed it slightly to her right. The phone was shot right out of her hand and she let out a little scream. The glare was then directed at Tosh.

"Toshiko Sato, we have a lot to discuss."

Her wide eyes were staring at him from behind messy hair and she could feel her entire body shaking slightly. _Jack, please hurry._

* * *

Jack must have sped through at least half a dozen red lights on his way to Tosh's apartment. His heart was racing. If she was hurt someone were getting killed. He usually appreciated his teams' ability to be independent, but today he wished they weren't. As determined as she had been when she was working, he should have expected her not to let it go. He had called the others to come. Gwen's phone had been off, but Owen picked up and was on his way. Jack really hoped they wouldn't need a doctor, but was grateful to have one handy.

He came to an abrupt halt as he reached her place. Rushing out of the car without even bothering to close the door. He didn't slow down until he reached her door. It had been broken open. Splinters around the doorknob and on the floor testified to that. Listing he could hear no sounds, whoever had been here were probably far gone by now. Entering the room the first thing he saw was her computer. The screen had been smashed in and the rest was covered in bullet holes. Someone clearly didn't like what Tosh had found.

As he went closer he noticed her on the floor to the left. For a moment Jack's heart stopped and his brain went to a halt. He moved quickly over to her and dropped to his knees in blood. She was lying on her back with blood and hair covering most of her face. The skin he could see was pale even for her. He shakily spoke her name repetitively before he leaned in to take her pulse.


	5. Picking up the trail

Jack slumped down in his chair in the hub office. One lazy hand brushed thought his hair as he closed his eyes. The familiar cool air in the hub made a prickling sensation on his skin and he could hear Myfanwy call out in the main area. She would need feeding. Now that their team had been reduced to him, Owen and Gwen the feedings had been rather off schedule. At least Tosh was alive. The head injury she had experienced had put her in a critical condition. Jack got up to pour himself a glass of scotch. During two days he had been in and out of the hospital. The Doctors had finally been able to stabilize her last night, with the help of Owen who had refused flatly when they tried to get him to leave. Jack suddenly found himself glad he had hired the stubborn doctor. Now all they had to do was track down the bastards responsible for her injuries. They didn't have much to go on. Tosh had told him before she left work that day that she had found Ianto. He had apparently been taken by two people in suits to some building. The place had had a lot of security. She was supposed to brief them all on what she had found the next morning. The loud cog door caught Jack's attention. It was already morning. _A new day; let's hope it's better than the last few_, Jack thought bitterly. After one quick sip he headed out the office. His throat burned as the liquid ran down. It was a rather nice distraction from recent events.

"Okay kids, what do we know?" The loud words were let out as he walked down the stairs to the main area. At the bottom of the stairs he was met by Gwen handing him a cup of coffee. He took it hesitantly and eyed it carefully. Jack should be used to takeout coffee now, but it still seemed weird. Coffee unaccompanied by a suit clad Welshman and a boyish smile.

"Thanks." He whispered softly as Gwen eyed him. Owen spoke up from behind her.

"We've already used Tosh's program to hack into a bunch of different surveillance cameras from stores and ATM's near Tosh's apartment. Also got into the police files on the intrusion, then, we got nothing. Seems our breakthrough came from a nosy old neighbor in 3B. Have to love those."

Gwen shot him a disapproving look before turning back to Jack, cutting in herself.

"She said there had been a ruckus and when she looked into the hall there had been some sort of strike team lead by a man in a suit. Sounds familiar, Jack?" She looked at him with a stern glare and crossed her arms and Jack was quick to respond.

"We don't know if this has anything to do with Ianto or the people he went with, lots of people have suits. That they chose to attack right after she found Ianto _could_ have been a coincidence." Jack didn't really believe in coincidence and his argument was weak, but it was better than the alternative. Ianto would never have been be involved with what happened two days ago. At least not voluntarily and that's what worried him. He swallowed before furrowing his brows quizzically.

"Why didn't the neighbor tell the cops? This should have been in the police report."

Owen rolled his eyes at the change of subject before half whispering an answer like you would a nasty little secret.

"I know a little something about old women with lots of cats and lose teeth. As long as you're not with the police, they love to chat."

Gwen took a step backwards and half turned to stare at Owen, probably feeling insulted on behalf of the female gender. After a short awkward pause he continued, only now his words were dripping of sarcasm.

"I'll check for any government groups whose strike team went on a stray rampage two days ago. Are we sure suits anonymous aren't just recruiting? Maybe Tosh was a closet suit fanatic."

"Owen!" Jack half roared before he could stop himself. The mention of Tosh still made his blood boil. Owen looked down and took a deep breath. The sarcasm and annoyment he had radiated before was suddenly all gone. All that was left was their worn out doctor. For the first time since the doctor had entered Jack noticed he was wearing the same clothes he had worn yesterday in the hospital.

"Sorry, mate. I just really want to catch these bastards."

Jack put a hand on his shoulder and gave a weak smile. When it came to how to deal with grief the doctor was hopeless; especially when all he could do for her was to sit and wait. He pulled back and got back into business.

"Considering the police knew nothing of the situation, we're probably looking for mercenaries or private security forces. Had it been a government group the case would have either been classified or the police would have gotten some sort of notice to back off."

"The old lady gave us a general description of the man. I'll look into any shady private security currently at work in town." Gwen spoke up, looking anxious to get to work.

"Owen can do that. Gwen, I need you to look up your old pals at the police station and see if they got any clues from the things they confiscated from Tosh's apartment." Owen looked pleased to finally be able to get to work. He spun around and headed straight towards Tosh's workstation. A look of hesitation briefly crossed his face as he closed in, people rarely disturb her desk and now it felt a bit weird. He heard Gwen continue speaking behind him.

"I'm pretty sure the computer was beyond saving, Jack."

"Check anyway, if anything was salvaged I want to know."

* * *

Owen and Jack sat by each their computer tapping quickly. Gwen had gone home right before midnight and now hours later the guys were still there. The air was thick and warm making it all the easier for one to close their eyes. At least Jack thought so. They were running out of ideas and had begun double checking police reports. News clippings and such were also being skimmed. He took a small sip of his coffee before realizing the brown liquid had gone cold. He frowned while waiting for his mind to catch up. The last one to make coffee was Gwen before she left. It was one of the worst cups he'd ever had, but he had desperately needed the caffeine. Maybe he should send her to take lessons somewhere. He looked over at Owen before he stood up to get a refill, preferably something warm. The doctor's eyes were bloodshot and red rimmed, but wide awake. A deep yawn escaped Jack as he begun walking towards the little kitchen area. The computer stuff was taking forever because of Tosh being in the hospital and the coffee was crap because Ianto was AWOL. Since he came back to Cardiff things kept spiraling downwards. He snapped back towards the computers at a sudden outburst from Owen.

"Jack, listen to this. 'A man named James Morris arrested on suspicion for illegal paid activities by private company in Cardiff. 3 years ago in London Morris was tied to a private security contractor that went missing.' And guess what, the police got no official address or work on the bloke yet he had a large amount of untraceable cash on his account, shady enough for you?" After some quick strides Jack was behind Owen, he suddenly felt more awake than he had for hours now.

"When was this and where is he now?"

Owen smirked at the intense way Jack kept staring at the screen and turned his chair so he was half facing towards Jack. A few moments ago the old man had looked ready to pass out and now he looked like a thousand alarms had gone of in his head. The doctor had more to tell and Jack looked to be in an impatient mood.

"This is where it gets interesting. He was bailed out after only a few hours in the cage, didn't say by whom, guy was found dead two days later stuck to a boat propeller. That was just a few days before you got back. Definite signs of Murder on what was left of the poor bastard."

The man must have been dumped and then drifted in behind a boat. That gave Jack quite a gruesome image. After a few days in water the corpse tended to turn a little green and the body would decompose at a quickened rate. Then into a propeller, it probably weren't left on for long, but still. Jack pitied whoever had found the body.

"Someone else's mistake is our lucky day. Find out who paid bail." They were finally one step close to find out who had hurt Tosh, Maybe even to find Ianto and it filled Jack with a fresh wave of energy. Owen turned back towards the screen and started clicking some more, but was pretty confident he had already found all here was to find so he started disclosing what else he had.

"No word on the bail. Seems this someone worked hard to stay to stay invisible, but the copper in charge of the previous investigation had some pictures of people Morris could be working with. Maybe the bloke made a mistake so his boss got trigger happy." Owen shook his head slightly; he would never understand why someone would choose these jobs. Jack nodded in agreement to Owen's suggestion before he began responding.

"Upload them to a PDA. Rich people who pay good money for something illegal tends to get cranky about police investigations. The boss most likely tried severing all links."

Owen opened a drawer and fished out the device, plugging it in quickly. While he started transferring the files he muttered softly.

"Self preservation instincts, the boss had it, the dead bloke didn't."

Jack gave a short nod, not that Owen could see that staring at the computer screen.

"Did they find the killer?" If the police had pictures, but hadn't found the killer it meant they probably didn't have information on any of the important guys. Jack didn't need information on them yet though. First he had to see if one of these pictures had anything to do with his injured team mate and they did have a way to check that out.

"No, still unsolved. That's what makes marinas brilliant for body dumping; lots of sea life to eat the evidence. Only reason they knew it was murder was because the bullet was still stuck to the back of his skull." Annoyment was clear in Owens tone now. Why did people have to dump it in the marina anyways, it always made his job so much harder. Although, Owen thought bitterly, guess that's why they do it._ To make me miserable._

"If the bullet hadn't it would have looked like a random drunken idiot who came to close to the water." Jack was jumping in joy on the inside. Such a simple mistake as to forget to check for an exit wound had revealed a murder. This murder could lead them to a possible mercenary group here in Cardiff which in turn could lead them to Ianto. If they found these people Jack had many questions for them, but primarily; why take Ianto and hurt Tosh?

"Yeah, Here" Owen said as he handed him the PDA. Jack stared at the doctor for a moment. The adrenaline of their find was wearing of and Owen was clearly feeling it. His shoulder were slumped and his eyes turning drowsy. When Jack spoke he sounded almost enthusiastic.

"Great, we got some pictures; tomorrow we'll see if they match. Go home, get some sleep and I'll call you if I get something." He smiled and gave Owen a clap on the shoulder.

"And if you don't?" Owen had changed his tune to a pessimistic on again.

"Then we get to pull an all nighter." Jack seemed to be in a good mood all of a sudden and Owen found it annoying. It might have something to do with the lack of sleep because usually he would make some silly joke on Jack's expense.

"I don't do 'all nighters' unless there's sex involved." Owen grumbled. Jack let out an amused short laugh before answering.

"I thought you'd never ask." As a reward Jack got another grumble from Owen.

"I forgot, don't feed the animals." Jack smirked and arched an eyebrow as Owen rolled his eyes. Before Jack could reply any more Owen stood up and started walking. He muttered an annoyed "Going" while he walked. As he heard Jack call out behind him he stopped and turned his head back. He gave Jack a glare that generally meant 'Not in the mood for more bullshit now, Harkness.'

"Good work." Owen looked surprised for a moment, before he gave a quick nod and started heading for the exit. He was really going to enjoy his sleep tonight.


	6. Clocks, cats and mice

When the sun rose Jack had already started his day. He knocked on the on wooden door of apartment 3B twice and it took only a few moments before he could hear soft footsteps on the other side. When the door swung open it revealed an elderly woman with smooth white hair pulled back in a tight bun. She was wearing a spotless deep blue dress jacket with a matching skirt. Her appearance screamed proper and suddenly Jack felt extremely under-dressed. He knew he looked roguish and worn yet even before the day had truly begun this lady was ready for a gala show. With her sharp chin held high she raised a challenging eyebrow; this was certainly not what Jack expected after Owen's talk about old loose teeth. Change of tactics; a simple meet and greet would not work on this woman. Thankfully Jack was a man of many talents; Schmoozing being one of them.

"Hello Miss, I'm Captain Jack Harkness. I am truly sorry to bother you so early in the morning, but may I have a moment of your time?" Jack put on his trademark smile, the one that usually had women fawning all over him within a few seconds. The lady narrowed her eyes for a moment weighing his words

"Captain, really? I knew a captain once, marvelous man." Her shrill voice made him wish for a pair of ear plugs. "What would be your business here?"

"I'm a friend of Miss Sato, the young lady living a few doors down from you." Jack paused and looked for any sign of the woman opening up, but she looked even more suspicious than before. "I'm worried about who would hurt her so I'm doing a little investigation of my own. A nice lady like yourself wouldn't mind helping a guy out, right?" Jack went for another smile and this time it had an effect. The woman opened her eyes wide and her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Really? An investigation? Oh my, how exciting." Well you better come in then captain. "

As he followed her on the way in he noticed the extravagant decor. Gold, fine quality dark wood was dominant in her apartment. She had several antic clocks all ticking in tact and her walls were covered in pictures of a bunch of different people, but none which looked like family. It all looked like a fine kept shrine to her life. She sat down in a chair far to large for the petite woman and gestured for him to take a seat in the couch opposite to her. The couch was hard, but elegant. It had obviously been bought for appearance not comfort.

"I have on good word you might have seen a few of the people who trespassed and might recognize someone. I have pictures here." Jack took the PDA out of his pocket and handed it to her. She took it and started sliding her fingers across the screen to browse the pictures. As he was watching her something large and furry jumped up into his lap, sharp claws dug into his tights and he had to bite his lips to keep from squealing. The perpetrator looked up on him with bright yellow eyes and purred expectantly. Jack sat completely ridging, staring down at the orange being.

"Knew a guy who looked like that once." He mumbled with a bit of strain as it kept pawing into his lap, it was most definitely beginning to hurt.

"You had a cat?" She looked at him in surprise. Jack smiled secretively as he let his mind drift for a moment to past, or to these people he supposed, future times. The sudden pain a little to close to his privates reminded him they were getting sidetracked. He shoved the thing in what he hoped was a subtle movement before answering.

"Not exactly. Do you recognize any of them?" The menace luckily didn't try to jump back up and Jack felt an urge to pull of his pants and check for damage. He looked at her as she continued browsing.

"They all look so angry, I always said smile to the world and the world, oh! This man, this was the man I saw in the hallway." She waved excitedly with the PDA and grinned wildly before she remembered she was supposed to be a proper lady. With a careful grip on the device she leaned gracefully towards him and handed it to him.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked quietly while he was doing flip-flops of joy in his head.

"Of course I have an excellent memory, I'll have you know. He really has no idea how to react to a camera and the lighting is all wrong. In my younger days I was an aspiring actress, I had much training in charming the camera." The lady drew out certain words for the dramatic effect looking extremely pleased with herself, although she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Jack had stopped listening.

"Thank you mam, you have been brilliant." The quickly spoken words were followed with Jack pretty much jumping to his feet and rushing towards the exit.

"Oh really, well thank you very…" She looked after him with raised eyebrows and let the sentence go before mumbling to herself softly. "Young people these days, always have to rush. Oh well, at least he had a nice bum." While the woman grinned to herself Jack headed for his car, today they were going to find the bastards.

* * *

**SCT**

The long white halls still made Ianto feel like he was in a hospital; a fully emptied out hospital that is. Agent Madison Lloyd was stomping loudly and Ianto had to 'not quite jog' to keep up with her. She was in a mood today. When he had caught her in the lobby she had nearly ignored him and rushed on. She was livid and was planning to argue about it. It was not a secret to Ianto that she had fallen out of her bosses' good graces. Ianto didn't know why, but as it seemed sensitive to her, he had left it alone. That however did not mean he'd leave her alone. Madison was, as always, his best chance for answers. There was nothing new on the Jack Harkness case. Talking to 'Guest's' about the company's business weren't allowed, but when he asked he could usually read her face quite easily. Generally Madison was not good at keeping secrets. Like now. Ianto could tell from the simple greeting in the lobby and the small talk on the way up that someone had done something overly brutish and someone she considered innocent had gotten hurt.

When they reached her target the 'who had done something bad 'became fairly obvious. There Blackwell was sitting in one of the steel framed chairs in a small plain office. A black suit jacket was casually slung over the back of Blackwell's chair. He had guns in front of him, they had clearly been polished repeatedly and a brown folder was sitting by the corner of the table. The guns were practically shining. Blackwell would not let some innocent bother him. He was the type that would kill people and then complain over their lack of manners. What exactly was in that folder that had made Blackwell so anxious? Ianto frowned at the unusual behavior from the man while Madison stepped in front of him.

" Blackwell a word?" The seething words were sounding particularly forced. She spun around and walked through another door from the office and into a bigger room to their left. Blackwell shrugged at her behavior before getting up to follow her. As he passed Ianto he sent out one of his 'specially reserved for Ianto' annoyed glares. Ianto tended to respond to this with a small wink and a smirk; he liked being a thorn in the man's side. Once the door closed behind the two Ianto breathed out heavily and looked around at the walls. This had to be Blackwell's office; No widows; no pictures. The room was clear and blank like the owner could be expected to leave at any moment. He looked curiously at the folder, one little peek surly wouldn't hurt. As he noticed the little beep from Blackwell's jacket he felt his eyebrows raise. He really shouldn't, he had come to appreciate Madison's friendship and out of respect for her, he really shouldn't. Besides from what he had learned from Blackwell so far he was a quiet, private and efficient. Whatever he could find on a phone of his would probably be limited. Blackwell simply weren't the type to keep anything that could be problematic later. Ianto glanced curiously towards the door. The voices on the other side were rushed and barely audible. Ianto let his eyes drift back to Blackwell's jacket pocket while his fingers were tingling. The dim light was barely shining though the fabric of the jacket. He really shouldn't.

* * *

**Back in the hub**

On the way back to the hub Jack called Owen and Gwen. Gwen was late and gave some random explanation that Jack was not really paying attention to, but Owen was there and ready for work. Jack sent him the picture in hopes that he could figure out who the man was by the time Jack made it back. In the dimly lit hub a worn looking Owen was sitting in the couch. He had only had a few hours sleep so the coffee he was carrying was treasured deeply. After the mess Gwen ad made of the kitchen for the sorry excuse of coffee there was no way anyone would get near that place so he had bought some on the way. The steamy hot liquid covered some of the nasty smells of old food on random desks. The duty of cleaning was usually Ianto's job and people kept half expecting him to just walk though the door and start fixing. This meant nobody did anything and the hub was a mess. The archivist was going to have a hell of a job in front of him when he returned and he would return. Owen was certain of it. He might just be the little teaboy, but he was their teaboy and he better not think otherwise. A loud 'pling' came from the computer as the facial recognition software found a match. Perfect timing both the two other team members should be here soon. He went to the computer to look over the results and keep digging. A few minutes later the cog door opened and voices flooded into the previously quiet hub. Owen had liked only listening to the slight tapping of his own fingers and the low sounds of their 'inmates'. Maybe this was why Ianto kept staying late. Among other things. He heard Gwen's voice clearly now.

"I said I was sorry Jack, I've had a lot to do lately."

"We've all had a lot to do Gwen. Remember; Torchwood comes first. Tosh and Ianto come first. What ever you got going on outside of Torchwood comes second." Jack walked ahead of her as he made his way over to Owen and Gwen huffed behind him.

"Owen, give me some good news." Jack's loud voice cast the hub into chaos. Myfanwy jumped out of her nest and started screeching, Gwen was muttering in the corner and the hub alarms went of. _Bloody hell_, Owen sighed loudly, _a wonderful beginning already_. Gwen rushed over to a computer and started tapping furiously before slowing down and adapting a puzzled look on her face. Jack stood behind her with raised eyebrows.

"What's happening?" Jack's voice was nervous and careful. They really didn't have time for this. Gwen let out an uncertain sound before tilting her head.

"I think a malfunction of sorts." Her long pause made Owen wave his hand in a 'and?' gesture. "It said something about a weevil sighting, but then one of Tosh's pop-up thingies corrected it. The pop-up is telling me there was an external interloper glitch." She looked at the screen in bewilderment. "Maybe we should check if there really was a sighting. It said something about Splott."

"If Tosh says there weren't that that's it, we've got bigger fish to catch, Owen?" Jack spoke decisively, dismissing the possibly sighting with ease while waiting for Owen to fill them in.

"I have no idea what an external inter what not is." Jack crossed his arms and glared at Owen who smirked before continuing. "I found out who our mystery man is; or not exactly figure out, but… Nigel Blackwell; Served as a marine, but was discharged after suspicion of war crimes. He fell of the map for a few years before reappearing in several private contracting jobs. Couldn't find any place of resident or official job at the moment, but I have the computer on constant lookout for thought a ton of cameras around Cardiff. If he shows his face anywhere in town with surveillance, whether it's a convenience store or passing by an ATM, it'll alert us." Owen smiled smugly, the man might be good at hiding, but he couldn't hide when they had Torchwood use every electronically eye in town to look for him. They knew about this Blackwell guy now and were going to back the bloody bastard into a corner. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

**SCT**

Blackwell was sitting ready to move out. He had put on a full combat gear and was sitting in the garage waiting for the finale go from technical support. The gas fumes were something he had gotten used to. He found it rather soothing; especially after the document the boss had dropped in his lap earlier that morning. The boss had been in a rush and simply ordered him to read and learn. The folder had contained some information on Harkness; not much, but now Blackwell knew about his rather unique medical condition. He had killed many people in the past, but how do you remove a man who can't stay dead? His com crackled to life as a tech called through.

"Blackwell you have a go. Torchwood has received a distraction and shouldn't be an issue."

Blackwell stood and grunted a short reply before heading out to gather his men. The recovery mission was on the other side of town and was bound to cause some disturbance that Torchwood would pick up on. With them out of the way things would go smoothly, or at least as smoothly as stealing an alien artifact from a bunch of extraterrestrials could get.


	7. Pink eyed shark

Blackwell entered the big space of the garage of an auto shop. Two men in full combat gear were at his six. The strong scent of gasoline and oil filled his nose, much stronger that at the garage in SCT. There was a vintage dusty car without wheels along the left, but else how there were few things in the room at the moment; some shelves and benches with tools along the walls only. Oil and dried mud flecked the floor while the shelves and such were covered in dust. It looked like no one had been here in a while. It was dark outside so what little light they had, came from two dusted down small wall lamps, making the room difficult to scout. Blackwell had already ordered two guards to each of the other entrances so nothing would escape and had given firm orders for them not to move for anything. The boss was very clear about that. If something could come back and bite you in the ass then you should kill it, so these things weren't getting away.

Blackwell pulled a small rectangular device out of his pocket. It felt like cool metal, but looked like dark violet marble. He stroked the surface with his finger tips and let his gaze drop to the device. The colors came to life and gathered in spots across the surface leaving the rest looking gray and dull. They had found it a short while ago and were one of the things the boss decided was to useful to just auction away. It was a life-detector. A black spiral on the far end towards Blackwell marked where he was standing. Then the device showed all life fanning out in what ever direction they pointed it in. in the far end of the spacey garage three life forms were heading towards them from the back room. Blackwell took his gun out of holster and pointed steadily towards the door, patiently waiting for it to open. Although since the thing only showed life in front and somewhat to his sides, he couldn't see the two shapes closing up on the window outside.

* * *

Jack leaned against the oversized dirty old widow, trying to get a look inside. Through the darkness and dirt all he could see were three figures in black overly focused on the door at the far end. They had their backs towards Jack and Owen meaning if they came in now they could catch them of guard. It would be nice to know if one of those three was Blackwell, but this opportunity was too good to let it pass. He signalized to Owen with his hand to move towards the door. Gwen was available over the com if they needed her. She was supposed to have come, but had insisted on staying behind. The excuse was that she wanted to monitor the computers in case they acted up again, not that she could do much if they did. Jack was getting tired what ever issues she was having lately; not wanting to go into the field, showing up late and she was constantly looking stressed. When she had insisted to sit this one out as well he hadn't been in the mood to smooth talk her, so the doctor was his backup. The two positioned themselves on each their side of the door. After a sharp nod from Jack Owen reached out and grabbed the doorknob. As Owen gave it a sharp twist Jack moved from the wall to kick it open before rushing into the room. The three men turned towards them quickly, but not quickly enough. Jack shot the one on the far right twice in the chest so he dropped as a potato sack. Owen had time to fire at the one at the left, who had time to throw himself behind the vintage impala by the wall avoiding most the shoots. Jack identified the one in the middle as Blackwell. The veteran shot a couple of shots at Jack before covering behind a barrel. One of the bullets hit Jack in the arm who hissed a little as hot pain shot through his arm. Thankfully it had not been his gun arm so he fired a few wild shots to give Owen time. Owen tipped a tool bench and dropped down behind it, Jack was quick to follow. Blackwell and his little helper shot a few times at the thick steel bench before realizing they were wasting bullets. Then the room went quiet. The helper and Owen were both panting heavily while Jack slammed the back of his head into the bench.

"Well, that could have gone better." Jack muttered under his breath. Owen looked at him with narrowed eyes and muttered back sarcastically.

"You think so?"

The only person in the room that had been completely silent was Blackwell; Bloody marine training.

"Nigel Blackwell right? How about you tell us what you have against Torchwood so we can all go home with limited bullet holes." Jack yelled out loudly while shifting slightly, so he'd be ready if Blackwell tried to flee.

"Couldn't care less about bloody Torchwood. You on the other hand; you're a freak Jack Harkness and I have strict orders regarding you." Blackwell talked normally, but thanks to the gruff voice and slight echo in the garage he still sounded loud.

"From who?" After Jack asked the question he could hear laughing from Blackwell's location; gruff, dry laughter. The bastard was finding this funny.

"You really don't know do you? Oh well, I'm not planning to spoil the surprise." Blackwell was beginning to consider calling a few of the people guarding the exits over for support, but decided against it. He could handle a doctor and some sorry excuse for a government group leader.

"If this person is trying to kill me, then why hurt Tosh?"

"The Asian chick? What can I say, rats gets stepped on." Blackwell started laughing again and it was starting to piss Jack of. "Whatever gave you the idea we were trying to kill you Harkness? If that was the plan you'd already be lost at the bottom of the sea where no one could ever find you; with cement blocks on your feet."

"Then what do you want?"

"Me? Mainly to get paid and possibly get some target practice in the process." Blackwell's answers weren't leading them anywhere. He had no intentions of revealing anything they wouldn't have already figured out. Jack banged the back of his head against the desk again. His arm had stopped hurting; it had probably already healed although Jack was really not looking forward to Owen digging out the bullet when they returned to the hub. At the moment they were pinned down. If they popped their heads up Blackwell would take them out. Not many people could be taken so thoroughly by surprise and still manage to not only get in cover, but also wound the enemy. Even if they contacted Gwen she wouldn't make it here in time.

While Jack was debating with himself Owen noticed a white canister by his feet; one of the items he had knocked down while he tipped the table. He poked Jack in the side and pointed at it. Jack looked confused for a moment before he got the general idea and his face turned to an expression of childish glee. Owen rolled his eyes at the hundred plus year old turned ten. Jack grabbed it and tossed it towards Blackwell. The darkness in the room kept the marine from identifying the item, but it did take his attention for a moment while he consider if it could be teargas or something. Jack used his distraction to pop up and shot the canister in mid air; causing it to bust open over their heads. The air filled with white powder based soap. The helper made the mistake of looking up getting a full dose of the powder in his eyes and nose. He breathed in the powder he began coughing wildly and sprinted for the exit. Jack looked like he was one step from laughing hysterically; the veteran solider boys beaten by soap.

As the door opened into the back of the garage all three of them tuned their guns and attention to the door and Jack's expression sobered right up. Out came a gray skinned hairless humanoid. The naked creature had smooth glossy skin that looked gray. Even thought the room was dark the pink glass like eyes where clear as they were almost glowing. They looked wide and vacant and the creature moved slowly towards them as if it were in a trance; it looked like it was completely oblivious to its surroundings. Blackwell acted on his marine training and impulses as he fired three times; once in its head and twice in the chest. It stumbled backwards and fell towards the wall. Transparent liquid started pouring out of the wounds. For a few moments the room was deathly quiet as Blackwell breathed in the heavy scent of gunpowder.

Then the thing screamed. It was a high toned screeching noise that made all three humans cover their ears as the voice cut into their heads making them dazed from pain. Two other gray creatures came out from the opening, their eyes were no longer unfocused and they looked pissed. As the humans refocused they watched in horror as the creatures grew long claws on their hands and their eyes turned blood-red. Then their faces stretched outwards making room for a huge mouth with wicked looking fangs that reminded them of shark teeth. The one that had been shot got back up and joined the others as all three stalked towards Blackwell. The man scampered to his feet and tried to aim, but after the cutting noise he could not focus well enough. They were on him in moments, slamming him back to the ground, chewing and clawing. Seconds later the three creatures got back up and turned their attention towards the last two humans in the room. Owen stood there staring in shook with an open mouth.

"Shit." Jack hissed the words out and dropped his gun to the ground. Those things had the most extreme form of split personality. He had seen them once before and after seeing what they were capable of he had run like if the devil were at his heels. There had been seventeen casualties that day and the only reason he had gotten away was because they hadn't been interested in killing him. If they had been, no amount of running would have let him escape.

"Jack, what are they?" Owen whispered from next to him as the creatures took a step in their direction. The dark red blood was dripping from their chins and claws. He gulped as his hand begun shaking slightly.

"Zathrians, drop your gun." At Jack's urgent tone Owen let his gun fall and his nerves rose as he heard the clank of metal meets concrete. Strange aliens and they had to be unarmed, he really didn't like this, but had to trust Jack in this matter since he had no idea what was going on.

"What are they?" Owen tried again, more demandingly this time. The creatures took one more step towards them.

"Usually a friendly specie, unless they suspect you're hostile." Jack said in a careful tone while raising his hands slightly and slowly to show he was unarmed. Owen followed his lead as his nerves began climbing through the roof. The creatures stopped and all three tilted their heads in union; like if they weren't creepy enough already.

"Then what?" Owen was keeping his tone as low as he could, afraid any raised tones could be considered hostile.

"If they're in a good mood they'll just slash you open a bit, if not; think man-eating tiger on PMS." As Jack answered Owen gulped again, feeling a sudden urge to say 'nice kitty, nice little man-eating kitty'. Since he didn't know if they could understand and they might find it offensive he refrained from doing so. The creatures stared at them some more, but they no longer looked as pissed of. Their eyes where actually turning lighter again and Owen really hoped that was a good sign. As the three turned to leave in the same dazed walk the first one had entered with, Jack let out a heavy breath he had obviously been holding. The Zatharians were usually a friendly herbivore species, unless they were threatened. Then they were willing to exterminate the enemy and tuned into bloodthirsty killing machines. Jack had no problem with letting them go as he knew they would wander of into deep forest area eventually anyway. The Zathariens liked avoiding other species and any form of conflict; on top of that they were usually very good at being invisible. How these guys had been able to track them down was a mystery. Even if Jack and Owen had tried to stop them they didn't have the firepower to take down a single Zatherian, let alone three of them. They waited until the creatures had left the room before picking up their guns and then started moving towards the barrel Blackwell had hidden behind. It was not a pretty sight. He was lying on his back and his stomach had been ripped open. His intestines were out on display and the concrete was blood soaked. It was a miracle the man was still alive, though he wouldn't be so for long. Jack sat down on one knee next to him and watched as the man coughed up some blood.

"Where's Ianto and who do you work for?" Jack knew he weren't likely to get much of an answer, but they had to try.

"Ianto?" Blackwell paused as his unfocused eyes flickered across the roof he was looking up at. He coughed some more, before letting out a strangled noise that sounded like it was meant as a snort. "Right the bratish little Jones sneak. He just finally realised he was playing for the wrong team."

Blackwell struggled getting out words as his throat was most likely covered in blood.

"You people with your arrogance and constant need to stick your noses where it doesn't belong. Anyone who gets involved with Torchwood gets hurt or dead. Guess your boy had enough of risking his life for people who kept landing him in the dirt."

Blackwell smirked as his eyes shifted to Jack who was clenching his teeth, knowing he had hit a sore spot. His body shook while he coughed again as more blood forced its way up his throat. The marine's eyes glaze over again as the coughing stopped and he went still. Owen sat down opposed to Jack and watched him carefully. He knew Jack was already going crazy with worry and this was not likely to help. As the com in Blackwell's ear crackled to life Owen redirected his attention to the body. The plan had been to capture the bastard alive, now they would just have to search for clues on him. As Owen began searching the man's pockets Jack took the com and held it to his face.

"The beings you came here for has already torn apart your team, if you want to live I suggest you don't try to stop them from leaving." Jack tossed the com aside and looked at Owen expectantly as the doctor pulled some objects out of Blackwell's pockets.

The first was some sort of purple metallic marble; most likely alien. They would have to test it back at the hub. The second was the man's mobile. Maybe they could get something useful of that thing. Jack stood and called for Gwen to arrange for cleanup. She sounded shocked when he told her about the aliens that had killed their suspect, but said she'd get to work straight away. When they returned to the hub, she had left for the day, but cleanup had been arranged. Owen ran the few numbers on the phone through their computers and found a one number connected to a building in town. The building matched what little Tosh had told them about the place Ianto had been taken. Tomorrow they would do some background work on the SCT building. After that they might visit and get some answers, but tonight everyone was getting their well deserved rest. Jack laid in his bunker listening to the sounds of machines and inmates in the hub unable to sleep.

He dwelled on Blackwell's words. The thought that he could really have brought Ianto to this stage hurt more than he'd like to admit. Ianto had been through much since he joined Torchwood 3; the one traumatic incident after the other. None of them had ever talked much to Ianto about how he was dealing with everything, but not because they didn't care. Ianto always seemed strong and confident on the outside. This was probably one of the reasons Ianto's actions when they found out about Lisa had hurt so much. It was the first time Jack had seen him as anything but perfectly collected and it felt like he hadn't been allowed to see the fragile human underneath before; He hadn't been allowed to meet the real Ianto. After Lisa died he'd gone straight back to being the calm and untouchable Welshman they all adored. Jack always knew no one could be okay after everything that happened to them on a daily basis, but Ianto kept up the pretense and no one questioned that. After listening to Blackwell it was hard to push away the idea that if they had questioned it, this would never have happened, but he knew Ianto better than that. No matter what Ianto thought about people he would never let anyone hurt those he considered friends. The team at the hub was more than friends; they were a family. Something was very wrong with this picture; wrong with Ianto, and Jack had no intentions of letting it go.


	8. Bloody images and metal casings

Ianto and Madison spent a lot of time together lately. He was her charge after all, but they had become friends. To Madison spending time with Ianto was not a duty, but a joy. She liked him. And for the life of her she couldn't figure out why the drugs were still necessary. The boss had said they had to keep the traumatic memories at bay to protect his psyche. Madison thought he was ready to deal with what had happened that made him take retcon, but the boss had refused to discuss it anymore. Since then she was no longer called to the report meetings and had to give reports over computers. Whenever she saw her boss she was ignored. Madison was pretty sure Ianto had noticed as well, he was very perceptive. The boss's behavior put her on edge, but someone had to say something so she had. For now she would just enjoy Ianto's company and wait. Pulling out her mobile she made her call.

" Hey Ianto, I'm in the garage now. Come down? There's a café on the corner and since you haven't been able to leave this building for almost two weeks now, I figured you might like to. So, it's a treat, on me." Ianto could pretty much hear her smile over the phone.

" Agent Lloyd, how can I refuse such a generous offer." He said with a gentle laugh. Fresh air would be great. Ianto was getting sick of living in a world of white and steel. He couldn't wait to get out of here.

" Well, you do have a pretty nice TV, and I hear…" There was a sudden clutter and Ianto heard Madison swear quietly.

" Madison? Madison!" The last was nearly roared since Ianto had heard what sounded like a guns safety going of. Then the call ended suddenly, and before Ianto even considered what was happening. He started running.

* * *

Jack had entered the building thought the doors that lead into the garage. The security would be less here than at the front door. Apparently the rest of the building was crawling with mercenaries. It was still a big place thought, but Owen had been able to dig up the blueprints and was trying to direct him on the comm. Jack missed Tosh though. Owen knew mostly what he was doing, but every direction he gave him was followed by snarky remarks. Jack couldn't really blame him; he knew the doctor was going thought a cranky streak out of worry for Tosh. As he walked inwards he heard a clatter to his left, behind one of the cars. He quietly drew his gun and tried walking slowly around it when a woman bounced up from behind it.

"Freeze Harkness, you're trespassing on private property."

Jack smiled one of his trademark grins, she was quite cute. Shoulder length brownish hair some curls and bound by a loose hair clip at the back of her head. Big innocent blue eyes and she looked rather rattled. Not exactly the prim suspect for a mercenary.

"So you've heard of me. Captain Jack Harkness, and who might you be, gorgeous?"

"Shut it, Harkness. I know all about you. I do mind your playful act." Her voice sounded more sure than she looked. Jack had to wonder; the person behind all of this surrounded him or herself with cold brute mercenaries, how did this girl fit into the picture?

"Act? This is not an act honey, I'm the real deal." As long as Jack didn't move she wasn't going to shoot. This much was obvious. She was probably waiting for backup so they could apprehend him. In the mean time he was trying to spin his head around for ideas. He couldn't just wait here for her friends to appear.

"My ass you are." Madison grumbled angrily. Jack was struggling to come up with ideas. Thinking was hard work, especially with Owen shouting at him in the background.

"A mighty nice ass at that." Flirting was like a second nature to Jack, no thinking required.

"Shut up, drop the gun, now." It would seem like his calm attitude rattled the woman some more. Thankfully he got a little lucky today. At the sudden sound of the alarm and bright red light flaring up around them, Jack took advantage of the distraction to run for cover. It wasn't often the people he was trying to spy on provided the distractions for him. If the alarm had gone then the young ladies friends couldn't be far behind.

Madison shot several bullets after him as he ducked for cover, but he was too quick. Soon it turned into a fire fight, and although she was a good shot, he was better. The alarm had gone, backup would show up soon. She just had to keep him here.

* * *

"We'll wait for a bit to see how this plays out, when Ianto gets there you can move."

The chief of security tuned to his boss, trying to keep his mask as blank as possible. Sure, he thought the girl was too soft on Jones, but she wasn't too bad. She could shoot, had a quick enough wit and with experience she might become a good solider.

"Agent Lloyd is not going to make it if we don't get there right now." He spoke in a slightly hesitant way while watching the boss's face for any sign of emotion.

"Back-up was delayed." The boss was perfectly calm; not a single sign of worry or interest. This was the perfect chance to get Harkness and the boss was going to let him slip thought their fingers, because of a silly plan to satisfy some grudge.

"With all due…" He got cut of by a sharp tone and angry glare.

"Are you questioning my orders?" As he was faced with eyes of ice he became certain that this grudge, what ever it was, the boss would kill for.

"No, of course not." The chief replied. _I'm not getting paid enough to work for a psychopath._ Though, he supposed, _Psychopaths needs guards to._

"Good, time for the games to begin for real." The bosses' eyes became vacant as she grew a wicked smile.

* * *

Ianto ran so fast he could feel his heart thumping with the same panic he was feeling. When he saw her his heart froze to a halt for a second, his breath stolen. There she was on the floor in a puddle of blood and a bullet hole through her chest. Her eyes were wide open, but lifeless and glazed over. Ianto rushed over and dropped to his knees next to her. A shaky hand reached out to gently touch her arm, still warm. A voice from his left caught his attention.

"Ianto." The careful surprised tone, made Ianto angry. Jack was standing there with a gun in his hand. His posture and face looking uncertain. He had murdered Madison. The rage made Ianto act; he was beginning to see Jack for what he was. The doubt vanished as he grabbed Madison's gun and pointed it straight at Jack. He had fire in his eyes and Jack actually took a step back. His worry for the archivist was being brushed away in favor of slight fear.

"I'm sorry; I didn't know she was with you." He tried gently as Owen was swearing loudly in his ear.

"Oh really sir, that would have made a difference to you? Hardly." The sir was spat out as the fury rose within Ianto. This was the man responsible for Lisa's death and now he had killed Madison as well. A loud voice roared from his back.

"Captain Jack Harkness! Lay down your weapon and this might be a bit easier on you."

Ianto turned around for a moment, a mistake, but it was made. He saw three guards running towards them. When he turned back Jack was by the exit tearing the door open. Ianto fired Madison's gun twice. One miss, but the other hit Jack in the shoulder. Jack kept moving though and was out the door in a flash. Ianto swore loudly before giving chase.

When he came out to the streets he looked around himself sharply before noticing the edge of Jack's coat disappear around a corner leading into an ally. Ianto wasted little time before following. With a half sprint he reached it quickly, but as he entered the ally he spotted Jack out of the corner of his eyes. Blue sparks confused his sight for a moment so he raised his arm by reflex and grabbed on to flesh. When his sight came back to focus Jack was holding a taser a millimetre from his neck. The only thing holding the taser back was the iron grip Ianto had around Jack's Wrist. The bastard had waited for him; probably to drag him back to Torchwood. _Well, that's not happening,_ Ianto thought bitterly. His neck was getting increasingly warm from the near proximity to the taser and it stung as the occasional spark hit his skin. Ianto swung out with the but of his gun hitting Jack in the face making the man stumble back against the brown brick ally wall; dropping the taser in the process. The thing bounced harmlessly to the ground, but Ianto didn't want to waste time and raised the gun, to fire this time. Unfortunately it had taken Jack only a few moments to get back in action. The older man grabbed his gun arm, twisting it painfully and turning Ianto around in one smooth motion. Ianto gave a small shout as the pain flared up along his arm. When Jack gave another tight squeeze, the muscle in Ianto's arm was forced to release the gun. Panic began to stir in Ianto at the thought of being unarmed and Jack proceeded with slamming him face first against the wall. Ianto could feel the older mans warm damp breath against the base of his neck. Jack had a strong grip on him and what little struggling Ianto was capable had little effect. His attempts to free himself was little more than squirming considering all of Jack's bodyweight was holding him firmly against the cold wall.

"Ianto, quit it!" Jack spoke in a rushed voice that came out almost like a growl. Ianto had hoped the bullet from earlier would at least have weakened the man. Seems they really hadn't understated Jack's abilities in the folder from Blackwell's office. Ianto could feel Jacks steady heartbeat against his back, After all this how could it still be steady? A vague recollection entered his mind as a small memory fought through the haze of retcon. He used to enjoy this; the feel of Jack's steady heart, the way warmth would be shared between their bodies and Jack breathing into his neck. Ianto instantly felt the fury from earlier rise within him anew. This was the man who had killed his girlfriend and his friend. Also he tended to man-eating aliens on a daily basis. He had seen what Jack's aliens had done to Blackwell. After Madison told him Torchwood had killed Blackwell, Ianto didn't quite know what to think. There was little remorse for the veteran being gone as far as Ianto was concerned. He spent the day talking Madison into showing him, eventually she showed him pictures. No matter what Ianto thought of the man seeing what they had done to him made him sick. They had torn the man to shreds and partly eaten him and Jack had let them go on with their business. This was Torchwood.

* * *

Jack was about to start speaking when they heard army boots closing in on their position; the guards from SCT by the sound of it. Jack swore softly before throwing Ianto to the side and down on the ground. He'd have to come back for him later, when he had decent backup. Frustration build up inside of him; finally finding Ianto just to have to leave again. He began sprinting towards the other end of the ally.

* * *

When Ianto got back on his feet after locating and picking up the gun Jack was to far away. Any shots Ianto could make wouldn't hit him now anyway so Ianto simply started running after him. The man was too quick; Ianto could not see him at all once he came to the end of the ally. Maybe he should pick a random direction and start searching, but reason told him it would be pointless. Ianto let his gun arm fall to the side as he ran the other through his hair. He looked around himself with sharp and adrenaline fueled movements. Jack was gone, but Ianto was determined to find him again. He would have to admit defeat today. Tomorrow was a whole new case though.

After spending the day preparing, Ianto was now leaving SCT. In hand he had a big grey metal case. Apparently the boss had okay'ed it. Jack breaking into their base and Ianto was free to ask for heavy weapons. It seemed too easy, but Ianto was way passed caring as the constant reminder of the havoc Jack had caused rested in the back of his mind. The glock he was carrying had been checked and double checked. All that was left was to find a good spot for an ambush and luring down the target. Over the day he'd been constantly busy and hadn't had any time for food or coffee. Headaches and dizziness had followed, although not enough to bother him. On the contrary, he felt clearer than he had in weeks, came up with ideas he wouldn't even have considered yesterday. Like how Torchwood had found Blackwell, SCT couldn't figure it out, but Ianto had an idea. Torchwood tended to use lots of advanced technology, not manpower. Meaning as long as he stayed to areas without technical eyes or ears they might not be able to see him. It was only a theory, but it seemed like the only possibility. Also if he were right the bait should be from an eye-witness in a desolate place. He'd grabbed a sandwich on his way past the SCT mess hall; a snack for later, it would have to do. Right before leaving one of the guards had chased him down to give him combat gear; in the form of black and grey cameo pants and plain shirt. In the pack there had also been a black utility west, Kevlar body armor to put under and a thermos. Ianto had briefly entertain the idea of looking like the rest of the boss's little minions, but decided against it. He would feel awfully displaced without his suit. The neatly tailored suits were his body armor as far as he was concerned. So the combat gear pack got dumped in a trash bin right outside the doors, along with the thermos, probably made in the mess hall. Ianto was pretty sure they made the worst coffee in Cardiff. He went out in his plain black suit and bright red tie; the only thing out-of-place the large metal case. Ianto Jones smiled grimly up towards the setting sun before leaving his strange refuge.


	9. Through smoke and fire

They had gotten news of a possible weevil sighing through Andy apparently. From the edge of town a call had come to the officer. Some distraught person had called in panic about a strange creature that had attacked and killed someone using claws and fangs. From the general description of horrible misplaced skin, baldness and a wrinkled inhuman face Andy had decided this was Torchwood territory and relayed the message to Gwen. She'd been on her way over when she called Owen and Jack, but they'd decided they couldn't wait and was driving at a high-speed on the highway. Jack watched the white lines on the road ahead with tired eyes. Owen got the honors of driving today as he had decided Jack had no right to be behind a wheel. From one look at their leader he had decided if Jack didn't get some proper sleep soon he'd drug the man into oblivion. At this point he was pretty sure even Gwen wouldn't object too much. He let his eyes drift to Jack one more time and noticed the man deep in thought, of what wasn't hard to figure out.

_~#~_

Jack's eyes might be watching the highway, but his mind was elsewhere entirely. They turned of the road on to a smaller one. Soon they were driving through forest on a gravel road. The most recent block they'd run into spun through Jack's mind as he kept pondering about SCT.

If only Tosh was here she might have been able to break through. She probably already had. Before she called him she had found something, possibly by breaking into their system. Ianto knew a lot about Tosh's system and might have been able to trace back her actions and find a way in, but for the rest of them it was rather hopeless. After their last attempt to get in there were no way they'd get another chance. The situation stunk. They had revealed the evil nest of mercenaries, but couldn't do a thing about it. Torchwood had limited staff lately and had no hope of breaking in, especially not after yesterday's failure. They couldn't get help without evidence, which those people were very good at covering up. With what they had left of their team they couldn't even figure out what SCT were up to. On top of it all the bastards still had Ianto. At least now Jack knew for sure Ianto weren't a hostage, no; he was actually there of his own free will. It seemed he'd also joined the fight against Torchwood and Jack had no idea why. The way Ianto had glared at him; like he was a monster. Jack hadn't seen him so hateful since Lisa. It had actually seemed like Ianto wanted him dead and it can't have been just because of the girl. He must have realised there were a fire fight in the garage. The bullet holes in the cars used for cover made as much obvious. Ianto didn't even bother to question the scene, he just decided Jack was the bad guy and needed to be shot. Jack let out a deep breath he could spin his thoughts around like this forever and be no closer to the truth. What he needed was Ianto, that's where the answers were. Until they could find a way to get to him, Torchwood and SCT was at a standstill. The Torchwood team could track the SCT personnel now after the digging they'd done and would be ready for anything they pulled. All they could do was to wait and Jack hated waiting. Jack was shook out of his thoughts as the SUV came to an abrupt halt. He looked over at Owen, confusion written all over his face.

"There's something in the road." Owen stared right ahead with an expression of disgust. When Jack shifted his gaze ahead he saw the source of their delay. A large animal carcass, most likely a deer, though it was hard to tell from here.

"We'll just have to move it then."

"Or we could drive around and ignore it." Owen stared annoyed at the thing like it was to fault for all their problems. After a quick eye roll Jack got out of the car, grabbing some discarded napkins of the floor. Owen was driving so he could at least move it. The animal deserved the dignity to at least not be driven over again next time someone had to use this road, when ever that might be. The small road was almost completely abandoned; they were technically in the middle of nowhere.

When he got closer the stench of dried blood and decaying flesh entered his nose inducing a slight nausea. Certain smells one could never get used to. There was a blood trail leading from the woods to the animal. Not drops from a wound, but as if the carcass had been dragged onto the road. Jack felt his suspicion rise as he realized this was a trap, but shouldn't it have been sprung by now? What were they waiting for? Damn, he left his earpiece in the car. He was supposed to have put it on during the drive, but forgot. How were he supposed to get the message back to Owen without causing suspicion with who ever set this up. Jack leaned down over the carcass and used the napkins to keep from touching the creature as he grabbed its hind legs and began pulling it of the road. It was cold; the trap makers must have been waiting for a while then. Patient people tended to make the most trouble. When he turned back to the car Owen was staring at Jack and gave an impatient wave with his hand.

On his way beck to the car Jack noticed something in the woods, just far enough away so that ordinary people wouldn't notice. Jack was anything but ordinary; he'd been through both the world wars and certain things he'd learned how to spot. They were waiting for him to get back in. The fiery explosion that would make sure to destroy and kill anything or anyone in the car. He pulled open the door to the SUV and spoke as calmly as he could without getting in.

"Get out of the car and take cover behind the trees. Run!"

Owen shoved the door open and begun sprinting as Jack grabbed his gun. Jack had time to move two steps away from the car before something large and rocket like moved at an extreme speed and hit the car behind him. The blast sent him flying and crashed him into a tree. Three thoughts went thought his head before be blacked out. Hopefully Owen got further away before the explosion, He was sure he heard cracking bones when he hit the three and he shouldn't have bothered wasting time for his gun.

He came too again a lot quicker than he had thought. Pain flared all over his body, he hadn't healed yet meaning he couldn't have been out for more than a few minutes. Jack's head was ringing as he forced himself to scout his surroundings. His vision was blurry and incapable of keeping up with his sharp head movements. Using his arms he pushed himself up until he was sitting on his knees. A sharp pain in his chest made him aware of at least one broken rib. A groan and some shallow breaths later his vision was clearing up. Jack then made a second attempt at looking over the extent of the damage. The SUV was on its head and burning fiercely. Jack didn't dare thinking of the consequences if he hadn't noticed the RPG. Owen was sitting on the ground behind the trunk of a tree. Looking severely dazed, but otherwise unharmed. Jack let out a breath in relief before coughing slightly as thick smoke entered his lungs.

"My mobile was left behind in the car. Yours?" Owen asked and then grunted a little as he got back on his feet.

Jack reached into his right pocket and after a few moments of fumbling around he found his phone. Luck was not with them today. The screen was shattered and black. After a few angry swears, he could hear a loud sigh from Owen as he made his way over.

"Think you can stand, Jack?"

The Immortal frowned, but didn't answer. Damn, his head wouldn't stop ringing. He could feel Owen place one of his arms around Jack's waist. Taking the hint, Jack threw an arm over his shoulder in return and tried to push himself up. His legs wouldn't cooperate, they had no strength. After a light swear from Owen, Jack abandoned the attempt.

"The main road isn't that far away, stop a car there. Call Gwen and I'll probably have healed a bit by the time you come back. At least enough to stand."

Owen gave a swift nod before turning leave. After he had left Jack leaned slightly forward and spat out a mouthful of blood. At times like this he wished he had died. At least then he'd come back fully healed and wouldn't have to deal with the injuries. They should be gone soon enough though. Jack closed his eyes while trying silence the ringing. The sound had dampened a bit. The flames from the SUV crackled loudly and he could hear cars in the distance. Then there were footsteps and Jack's eyes snapped back open. Yet again it took Jack a few moments to focus his eyesight. When he could see the figure ahead of him clearly, he drew in a large breath of air in a sharp gasp. This resulted in a stab of pain in his chest reminding him of his not yet fully healed ribs.

"Ianto? What are you…?" He let his words trail of as he realized Ianto was pointing a gun right at him. The confusion won over the need to talk to him. Jack hadn't even been given a chance to explain last time. It was not like Ianto to jump to conclusions like that. Someone had to be manipulating the situation.

"You killed Lisa, in cold blood, the woman I loved." Ianto's voice was doubtless and accusatory. Jack's eyes narrowed; they had gotten through that and their friendship had been repaired a long time ago. It suddenly hit Jack that his memories might not fully have returned even though they should have. Someone who knew how retcon worked must have manipulated him, only people who had worked in Torchwood should have such Intel. The situation had to be salvaged before it escalated.

"That's all you remembered? Okay, I can explain that, it was necessary…" Before Jack got to finish Ianto sharply cut him of.

"No, it wasn't, she was still herself, she was still Lisa. And you thought what, after the obstacle was gone, that I would be with you? I would never love you, Jack." Ianto spat his name out as you would any disgusting taste. Jack felt like he'd just been punched in the guts. A sensitive nerve had been hit and his head was spinning. All thoughts of conspiracies flew out of Jack's mind as he watched the hurt and anger on Ianto 's face.

"Ianto, listen to me, I never…" Jack weren't allowed to finish speaking this time either. Ianto rolled his eyes, not at all interested in what Jack might have to say at the moment.

"All full of pretty words and endearment, aren't you sir. Well, I'm done being fooled. You're a monster Jack Harkness and I will be the death of you. Again and again and again. "

Ianto emphasized heavily at every 'again' spoken. He then squeezed the trigger and the bullet hit Jack square in the head. Jack welcomed the darkness and the emptiness that followed, problem is just he would have to wake up again. In addition the normal pain of resurrection he would have to face the pain of Ianto's hatred and anger for him.

* * *

Meanwhile at SCT their boss where sitting in the meeting room. She was looking over the latest report from her scientist. Normally she'd do this in her office, but she had a meeting in 20 minutes. When her phone rang she absentmindedly looked at her mobile screen then her mind froze. Unknown number. Very few people had the number to this mobile, all of which would have shown up on the display. Carefully she brought it to her ear before answering in as blank and empty voice as she could muster up.

"Yes?" After she had spoken there were a silent pause, the answering voice that eventually came through shocked her. When he spoke her eyes grew wide.

"Hello, I have a dead, though not for long, captain Jack Harkness here." That was the voice of Ianto Jones.

"How did you get this number?" The boss asked carefully.

"Agent Blackwell really should keep a better eye on his phone" After the dry and tired tones of Ianto's voice the female gave a soft laugh; a laugh Ianto could have sworn he had heard before. It was probably just stress; after all he'd had a rather crazy day.

"Really? Well, Mr. Jones, I'm impressed." Compliments were usually appreciated greatly by Ianto, but he had a growing headache. This was not the time for such.

"Do you want him or should I deliver him to the authorities? I'd like to not do that considering his connections; he'll be out again to soon." Ianto asked impatiently.

Her impassive behavior had nothing to do with what she wanted, it simply weren't often she got such surprises. The sudden change in the case was completely unexpected. He was the little coffee boy and she had always looked slightly down on him, not thinking him capable of much. The plan had been for Jack to be forced in to killing Ianto. Instead Ianto had actually captured and killed Jack. She felt like laughing again. _Very unexpected indeed_, she thought looking out the window with a broad grin on her face.

"Take him back here; my guards will take him of your hands in the garage." Seemed she'd have to cancel that previous meeting as a far more interesting one had just showed up.


	10. Something about coffee

Along with guards there was a woman there when Ianto arrived at the garage. She was wearing a tight business suit and a big fake smile. He didn't like her. As she walked towards him, her long brown curls bounced up and down.

"Mr Jones it's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face. I am Ms Costello. You can call me Suzie." Ianto felt the vein in his head pulsation with pain, reminding his of how tired he was.

"I must say you have impressed us today. Excellent job."

She looked like she was going to continue talking, but turned her head at a suspicious sound from Ianto's trunk; like scraping and a rustling sound. With a sight and an eye roll, Ianto realized this had to be taken care of before Jack came up with some silly plan. He turned and headed towards the back of his car. Or should he say the car he borrowed yesterday evening from some nameless parking lot.

* * *

Jack woke with a gasp; the pain of the resurrection was something he'd never get used to. It took him a few moments to calm his breath. At least his injuries were gone, one small plus in a day of disasters. It was completely dark and he couldn't see a thing. Using his fingers he tried getting a feel of his surroundings. Something with a thin plastic texture was covering him completely. It was very much like a sleeping bag that included his head with a zipper on the front. After a few seconds his mind caught up with him. It was a body bag; Ianto had put him in a body bag.

Jack took a few more deep breaths to keep him from losing his cool. Then he tried working on opening the zipper, but couldn't get a grip. After a few soft swears and failed attempts frustration took over and he started twisting and moving in hopes to tear something open. Then he heard a click when a metal lock was released. He stopped trashing. Of course Ianto must have put him in the trunk for transport. But transport where? The cold voice belonging to one Ianto Jones spoke quietly.

"Sorry sir, I'm going to have to leave you in this lady's care for now. Ah, and I promised again and again, right? Fits quite well I suppose." At the next sentence Jack could have sworn there was a hint of laughter in Ianto's voice.

"After all, it's easier transporting a corpse than a prisoner." A loud sound followed and for Jack darkness returned, not that he had seen much light the last week anyway.

* * *

When Ianto stepped away from the trunk and turned to Suzie his face was as cold and passive as ever. On the inside he was raging. Doubt and guilt was fighting its way in to his thoughts and as much as he tried to choke the feelings they wouldn't go away.

"All yours, mam." Ianto hadn't really trusted his voice, but it came out more blank than even he had thought himself capable of.

"Boys." Suzie nodded towards the trunk and her guards were quick to act on it. They rushed over and started dragging the black body bag out. Drops of blood dripped out before Jack hit the ground with a heavy thump. Ianto flinched at the sound before he turned to leave. He needed time alone to sort out his head. It had been a long day and he longed for coffee and rest, but was stopped by the loud voice of Ms Costello from behind him.

"Mr Jones, I will be busy with interrogations for a while. Would you like to make one final sting at Captain Jack Harkness? You are more than qualified." The woman sounded giddy. He groaned before tuning back; his headache still killing him, among other things.

"And what kind of sting would that be Ms Costello?"

"I need information, Torchwood has it. Information on something called the gauntlet of resurrection. Torchwood has used it on corpses for a long time now. I believe it was destroyed, but I need confirmation." She watched him expectantly.

Ianto furrowed his brows as he considered it. A few more hours and this would be all over. Maybe he could finally get Jack out of his head. Confirming the destruction on an item should be easy enough. The only problem would be getting in.

"What kind of security do they have?"

Susie smiled wildly before turning serious and tossing him a PDA, which he caught with ease.

"It's all there Mr. Jones. Download all information you can find that might be relevant on to that, and I will take good care of Jack in the mean time." At the mention on Jack she looked down to the black body bag as a slightly sadistic smirk appeared on her face. Ianto felt a sting of guilt again. Capturing and killing Jack, watching blood soaking the concrete floor, Ianto felt like a right bastard. After everything Jack and Torchwood had done to people why should he feel bad? He did though.

He watched as Suzie turned to leave with the two guards hauling Jack after them. Instead of heading for the normal elevator they took the one next to it. Ianto had suspected there were more to this complex and assumed that would be the path. As soon as they were out of sight Ianto put a hand to his head. Blue eyes appeared in his mind; a bright loving pair. He loved those eyes and would trust the owner implicitly. They were accompanied by a childish grin and a strange scent he would do anything to recollect. Ianto snapped back to reality in slight horror when he realized who those eyes belonged to. His head was spinning slightly.

* * *

The passage into the place they called the hub was through a meager tourist office. Of course, his sister had told him he worked at a tourist office, must have been his cover. The button was easy to find and the cog door opened with a loud rolling noise. There were only two people who could be down here. A doctor Owen and a Gwen cooper. Ianto briefly wondered where Suzie had gotten this information. That thought faded when he noticed Dr. Harper coming into view in front of him. It happened to be the same doctor who had told him about his car crash. Why would he make him disappear alive and then let his boss hunt him down? Ianto hated the uncertainty so he simplified the feelings. Harper had lied to him, covered up the truth of Lisa and Torchwood. Anger rose within him and he acted on instinct. The doctor was sent railing backwards as Ianto slammed his first hard in Owen's face.

"What the hell, mate?" Owen yelled out while placing his right hand under his nose to stop the slight bleeding that started. Ianto drew his gun and pointed it at him, efficiently earning a sour look from Owen. As Ianto drew closer he took steps backwards. Using this method Ianto guided Owen towards the computer he had to get access to. Owen stumbled in something and landed on his ass next to one of the desks.

"Doctor _Owen_ Harper." Ianto emphasized heavily on the middle word. "Really?"

He turned to the computer while watching Owen out of the corner of his eyes, should he try something Ianto intended to be ready. After only two steps toward his source of information he saw Owen try to sneak away. A quick eye roll later, he went over and kicked him violently in the face.

"Bloody bastard." Owen grunted thought the daze he was now in.

Ianto grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and dragged him with over to the computer. Owen was dumped next to this desk and considering the blurry room and all the doubles he was seeing, he was very glad to be leaning against something. Ianto was taping quickly at the keyboard with one hand pointing a gun at Owen with the other. _Hurray for multitasking _Owen thought, knowing even his thoughts sounded sarcastic.

"Look mate, I know you're pissed at Harkness right now, but this is taking it a bit far. Don't you think?" Every word was dripping with annoyment. Owen was having a really bad day. At least he had gotten a hold of Gwen, but only to find Jack gone when he came back. She had gone to case the scene and look for witnesses, feeling terrible for being so useless lately. Apparently she and Rhys had had some bad fights and she'd been staying at a friend's, hardly getting any sleep. Owen came here to see if he had returned. Right now he wished he hadn't volunteered.

"Doctor Harper… Shut up."

The stoic mask of Ianto Jones was still in place. Only Ianto could talk like that and make it sound like a polite request. Owen snorted, and spat out a mouthful of blood on the floor. The kick had mostly hit his jaw, which were going to sport a nice blue bruise tomorrow.

"What about Tosh? She's still in the hospital and we have no idea when or even if she'll wake up. What if she dies while you're playing the evil avenger?" The words were rushed and impatient as Owen showed he had no intention of listening to the request, polite or not.

Ianto stayed silent, ignoring him.

"Seriously mate, they bashed her head in." Owen's voice was getting higher by the minute. Ianto did feel a little bad though. Tosh didn't deserve that. Ianto felt his head spinning slightly again. After a slight groan he answered, hoping a careless attitude would give Owen the message to stop talking.

"And?" Ianto questioned as flatly as he could.

Owens's face was filled in disbelief, but quickly replaced by anger. _So that didn't work_, Ianto thought as more words burst out of Owen.

"And, it's Tosh you bloody wanker! Toshiko Sato, your best friend, remember!"

Ianto stopped for a moment. He looked frozen, eyes wide and breath halted. He snapped out of it as suddenly as he started, but Owen had noticed. As if the cold attitude towards Tosh wasn't enough, this confirmed it. His eyes narrowed as he stared curiously at Ianto.

"What the hell happened to you teaboy? Why don't you remember yet?" The voice was more careful now that most of the anger had seeped out.

"Nothing and don't call me that. Jack and Torchwood has messed people up for the last time." Ianto snapped quickly in reply sounding rather rattled, letting Owen know he hit a soft spot. This was strange. Even if Ianto had been fighting the return of his memories, once he began remembering he wouldn't be able to hold it back for more than a day, two tops. Maybe some types of drugs could hold back the return of memories, but who would go thought the trouble of drugging Ianto?

"Ianto…" Owen began, but was cut of with a knee to the head. Owen fell over and hit the ground unconscious. Ianto ran his free hand though his hair. Torchwood's own doctor had thought his memories would have returned, the very same doctor in charge of the drugs he had taken. He had looked shocked when he realized Ianto didn't remember. The question then was if the people who knew the drug better than anyone thought it should have worn of, then why hadn't it? He had begun to remember, but it stopped after his first stay at his new apartment. It couldn't be the food. Madison had often shared meals with him. He felt a sense of dread as he remembered her coffee allergy. Sure, it was not unheard of, but very rare. No one had drunk his coffee but him. He remembered when he first entered what was to be his home. The first thing agent Madison Lloyd had done was pointing out the coffee. Ianto hadn't had a cup since yesterday and today his head was spinning and hurting. Much like it had when his memories had begun resurfacing in the first place.

Maybe he was being paranoid, but after finishing the download he snatched a few dollars from Owen's wallet. On the way back he went by the grocery store to pick up coffee. Same brand as he had lived on for the few weeks. He would also find an excuse not to deliver the information tonight. Ianto didn't want them to get suspicious, at least not until he knew for sure. If they didn't want him to remember, then maybe it was time he did just that.


	11. Lost in clinical whiteness

Jack sat in a room that resembled the rooms in an asylum; with white soft walls with no windows. Even the plain white scrubs he was wearing fit the scenario. He had woken up here a couple of hours ago and was currently waiting for answers. Jack had a lot of comebacks and snarky comments lined up. Unless he wanted to spend his time counting spots in the roof that was all he had to occupy his time with. Whoever had gone through all this trouble to arrange this apparently had a lot of resources. Jack was actually feeling slightly flattered, angry, but flattered. How they got those resources were still a question. They dealt with aliens, but after the incident with Blackwell Jack knew they weren't after capturing the aliens. Items, they were selling alien items. Jack kept contemplating; very few people had inside Intel on Torchwood, alien artifacts and didn't work for the government.

When the door opened, whatever quirky remarks he had plotted earlier, flew out of his mind. He felt his jaw drop as he stared at the woman he had used to think of as a friend.

"Suzie?" Jack couldn't do much more than to stare with mouth agape. She was in business clothes; he hadn't seen her look so professional before. It was probably to fit in her new life as a rich what-not monger. The only thing that didn't fit the business look was the crazy wide eyes. Jack wouldn't be the least bit shocked if she swung out with a butcher's knife at any moment

"Hello Jack and welcome to SCT, the Suzie Costello Tower, Enjoying your stay?" Suzie asked sweetly in that creepy way that makes you want to take a bath. Jack had to suppress the urge to shudder at the when her lips formed a sadistic grin. He really hoped Owen or Gwen would hurry up with the rescue.

"Well, it's a bit plain in here and I kind of miss my coat. Want to tell me why I'm here? I doubt it's because you missed my good looks and charm." Jack managed to relax a little when her grin was replaced with thinly drawn lips. Although he was still incredibly tense the fake facade had been the freakiest part. Now he could see the real Suzie and she looked annoyed. Apparently a flippant behavior works in every situation.

"I want the glove Jack." Suzie started walking slowly towards him with a determined face; her loud heels clicking with each step. Only a few feet from him she sat down on one knee studying his face. For the first time since she entered the room she looked a bit like the old Suzie; the curious scientist trying to understand. For a few moments Jack almost forgot he was a hostage, and then he remembered. He pushed out with both arms intending to shove her over and pin her to the floor. Before his hand could even connect to the target however hot pain flare across his chest. His body shock before he fell sideways and his head connected with the floor. Looking up he saw Suzie grinning manically and in hand she had a taser. He groaned before pushing himself back up to sit against the wall carefully trying to control his slightly erratic breathing; the weapon had been placed over his left lung. The skin on his chest was still stinging.

"The glove was destroyed." His voice was much more stable than he had expected; small victories. Since Jack couldn't really win now anyway simple answers wasn't a problem. Anyway there was nothing about the glove he could tell her that she didn't already know. She went back to studying his face, which he tried to keep as blank as possible. Whatever she was looking for he wasn't planning to help.

"Yes, but during my research I found hints that it might have been a part of a pair. If anyone would know about that, you would." She spoke so low Jack wasn't even sure her words were directed at him. Her eyes glazed a bit.

"You think highly of me I see. Nice to know, but as far as I know; there's just the one." Jack responded simply. He might know how to track down the second if there were one, but he wasn't planning on telling her that.

"We'll see." She used the same tone again like she wasn't talking to Jack at all. Her spaced out expression was getting creepy.

"Sorry?" Jack begun wondering if she had made a habit out of taking to herself; apparently that's the first sign of insanity. Although there were plenty other signs here that Suzie had cracked.

Suzie's eyes refocused and a small smirk endowed her lips while she watched him expectantly.

"Ianto just returned from the hub with all information of the glove on a PDA." The woman sounded proud when she said that and normally it would have annoyed Jack to no end. Now his mind was busy with other matters. He clenched his teeth and let his gaze drop a bit. The mention of Ianto's betrayal stung Jack. The hateful gaze and cold voice was still as clear as day. How could this ever be fixed even if Ianto by some miracle would want to? Suzie laughed loudly making his eyes snap back up to meet hers. Her laughter died out, but the manic grin was back.

"If you already have the information why are you here? Why am I here?" Jack didn't even bother tying to be blank and calm. He was pissed and pretty much shouted in her face.

"This wasn't my plan Jack. Ianto's the one who got the idea to capture you and I really didn't count on him succeeding, but he did and I saw an opportunity. You didn't need to be here, but now you get to witness my work first hand. Once I get the glove that is." At first she had looked amused and focused, but she was now slowly spacing out. Bit by bit her voice turned lower and more distant and her eyes began glancing over. "You looked down on me. You thought me insane, wrong, and damaged. When I have the second glove I'll prove it to you Jack. I'll kill everyone at Torchwood, including Ianto, and then I'll bring them all back. I can figure it out and you'll see I was right all along."

"And that's supposed to prove your sanity? Wow, Suzie, you really have reached the deep end haven't you?" Jack wasn't shouting, but his voice still had an edge to it as he stared at her curiously. At this point he was pretty sure she hadn't heard a word he'd said. Her eyes might be directed towards him, but he very much doubted she was seeing him. She rose to her feet slowly.

" Soon you'll see. Soon." The last was mumbled before she turned and walked, no drifted, slowly out of the room. The Gauntlet had apparently done more damage than Jack had realized. He watched her retreating back with furrowed brows and a half-open mouth.

Jack had interrupted her threatening to shoot Gwen. After that she started running and he hadn't had the heart to shoot her. During the chase she had run into traffic and gotten knocked over by a car. It had tried to brake so the impact didn't do much to her, but the bag slipped. Caught under the wheel of the car the gauntlet had broken. Suzie had been lost that night and despite the team's efforts, they hadn't been able to track her down. Maybe if they had, they could have helped her before she wound up in this state. Something very essential in her mind had broken and the Suzie they all used to know was gone. Somewhere out there Ianto was following her footsteps and Jack couldn't bear the thought of what would happen if they lost him like this to.

* * *

Ianto looked over the screen once more making sure he'd have all that he needed. The guard's administrator computer at the second floor had been easy to get to. After he captured Jack apparently he had gained a lot of respect around here. When he asked for a computer the guard had been quick to offer him his and when Ianto suggested he take a quick brake when he could, the guard didn't even question the gesture. It was time to deal with Jack and he couldn't have the guards interfering so he had set the relevant cameras on a loop. It should take the guard some time figuring it out, but by then the damaged should have been done. Next Ianto headed for the elevator to get down to garage level. When Jack had been dragged down there Ianto had taken notice of the code Suzie had input; therefore the second elevator wasn't a problem either. Now came the hard part. When the doors opened he was staring straight into the barrel of a gun. The owner glared at him.

"What are you doing down here? This area is restricted." The A4 looking solider guy looked cold and calculating and just waiting to get to pull the trigger. Madison had really been one of a kind around here; the only person at SCT who still had some heart.

"Ianto Jones, I asked to see Harkness, Ms. Costello approved. After all I raided the Torchwood hub for her." He smirked at the surprise that filled the guards face.

"Really?" The guard asked sounding a little impressed. Apparently Torchwood was considered unreachable by most people here. Suzie must not have shared all her knowledge with her lackeys.

"How else do you think I had the code? Look, I'm tired, in need to eat and have an unresolved issue with the prisoner. Would you mind?" Ianto let his exhaustion show with raised eyebrows and slumped shoulders. He'd been up all night thinking so his face probably gave the guard some insight as well. The guard gave him a steady glare while weighting the words, but in the end Ianto's recent act was impressive enough for the guard to give him a chance.

"Fine, but no more than 10 minutes. This way." The man waked ahead of him from the big waiting room and into the hallways. After they had rounded a few corners, Ianto made his move, pressing a stun gun to the back of the man's neck. The guard shock violently before dropping to the floor. Ianto reached down and grabbed his 9 mm before rushing over him and down the hall. After reaching the door he knew held Jack, Ianto took a steadying breath. This could get interesting. He opened the door and took a few steps inside. Jack was sitting on the floor leaning against the far wall with his head in his hands.

"Just couldn't resist, hm, Suzie?" Jack mumbled without raising his head. Looking at the Captains worn out form in those dreadful white scrubs Ianto felt twice as horrible for his actions.

"Sorry sir, just me." Ianto spoke quietly.

Jack's head snapped up as he quickly climbed to his feet. Ianto was met with a guarded look, but it was quickly replaced with a more desperate expression.

"Ianto, no, not again." Jack's voice was strained, but held a determined edge. He closed the distance to Ianto with only a few steps before grabbing the gun from his hand, all in one smooth motion. The gun was then aimed it straight at the man who had killed him twice, and had promised him a third. Strangely though Ianto made no moves to try to stop him or even hold on to the gun.

"Sir if you would like to shoot me, then you might want to do so after we get you out of here." Ianto seemed so calm it was unnerving. The blank expression and relaxed posture emphasized on the fact. Jack's brows furrowed as he tried finding the crack in Ianto's shell, something to give him an inkling of what was going on. Ianto took a deep breath, but else how there was no change so he continued speaking.

"Jack, we don't have a lot of time. They'll realize the cameras aren't working right soon, and when they check they'll know it was my doing. If I get caught now I won't be able to help you anymore."

"And why should I trust you Ianto, after everything you've done." Jack's words were harsh, but deserved. Ianto let his gaze drop to the floor while trying to quench the guilt bubbling inside of him.

"You don't need to, you have the gun, if I'm lying the worst thing I can do is lead you to be captured again. This if I may point out, is what you already are." Ianto looked back up slowly, staring straight into Jack's eyes. Jack could see pain and fear in the younger man's gaze.

"Why? Why now?" Jack lowered his gun slowly, staring at Ianto carefully.

"Because I remember. Everything."


	12. Mending hearts and bullet holes

Jack stared at him in suspicion, was he back just like that? There were so many questions he wanted to ask to figure out exactly what had happened to drive them so far apart. Jack didn't know where to begin. The punch he landed on Ianto's jaw would have landed him on his ass, if Jack had not grabbed his arm and pulled him in for a bone crushing hug. He smiled and breathed in the distinct coffee smell while savoring the feeling of finally having his Welshman back. Jack was hugging him as tightly he could, as if he feared Ianto would go away again if he let go. Said Welshman was still surprised and rigid. The punch had been rather expected; the embrace however was not. It was comforting and gave him hope that perhaps repairs were possible. Ianto felt himself relax in Jack's arms, as he let out a content breath. He felt calmer and more at ease than he had in weeks; feeling Jack heartbeat right by his own. Jupp, the hug was definitely a surprise. It was short-lived though as Ianto remembered the urgency of the situation.

"Jack, we really need to go now." Ianto could feel a slight hum from the Captains chest as he laughed softly, barely audibly. Jack began releasing his hold, but only enough to let him step back half a step. Jack's arms were still refusing him to escape the near proximity. The older man was smiling and blue eyes were shining with joy. Ianto remembered that smile, he loved that smile. Even when Jack was sleeping he'd smile like that. A tingling sensation spread along his back as Jack slowly moved his hand up the spine before finally letting it rest at the back of Ianto's neck. Jack's smile faded and he looked serious again while he let his gaze drift over the features in Ianto's face.

"Are you really you again?" Jack's voice was careful and for a moment Ianto saw a more fragile looking captain. Ianto didn't think he had ever seen the man so close to breaking and his heart dropped when he realized just how far he'd pushed Jack over the last couple of weeks. Jack was always so guarded, full of flirtations and jokes, but never this; so openly wounded and sad. Ianto had no doubt Jack would forgive him, but looking at the captain now he wasn't sure he'd ever forgive himself.

"Yes" Ianto's reply was little more than a whisper, but Jack was too close not to hear. Although at the moment the words spoken didn't matter much. Action mattered and Ianto had no idea what actions could fix this, but he would still try. Filled with determination he grabbed on to Jack's upper arms and pulled himself even closer before letting their lips meet. The kiss was dry, as Jack had spent hours down here, and rather one-sided at first. Jack had apparently been taken by surprise, but caught on quickly enough. Soon it turned passionate and Ianto could feel his entire body begin to heat up. Waves of energy rushed through him at the feel of Jack's firm hands massaging the back of his neck, silently urging him on. Piece by piece his mind was turning blank and all he could focus on was the scent of 51'st century pheromones. Jack turned out to be the one to pull back first, as Ianto had lost his ability for coherent thoughts, though reluctantly so.

"Lead the way." When Jack pulled away he was sporting a lopsided grin and he noticed the pure look of relief on Ianto's face. Ianto's expression made Jack's grin grow even more. The captain gestured for the door and Ianto let out a playful huff.

"You just want me to walk a head so you can admire the view." His fingers brushed by his jaw softly. It stung and was probably going to get blue by morning, if they survived that was. He would wear the bruise as a badge of honor if he would ever be allowed to set a foot in the hub again though. Ianto started walking out of the cell as he heard Jack reply behind him.

"Going to tell me you don't appreciate the attention?"

"Wouldn't dare sir." Ianto answered as he changed his pace into a slow jog.

* * *

"Well, this might be a small issue."

Small? Ianto looked around the corner again. The entrance area was huge and in the middle of the room the only exit from the sub levels, except Suzie's private way which was conveniently left of the blue prints Ianto had found. The lift led to the garage and now there were about 25 armed and ready guards in there. Seems they had caught up with his plan quicker than expected.

"You have an idea?" Jack asked, as he looked over at Ianto who gave a short nod.

"Yes, plan B, this way." Ianto had hoped not to have to do that.

They walked down the hallway and around some corners before they reached a small room. Ianto kept sending nervous glances around him the entire way. And he was most certainly looking for something. Taking one last glance around the room he turned to Jack.

"Right, this looks good."

"Good?" Jack frowned, there were some scrap metal thrown on the benches by the one wall, trash stacked up by the other, but nothing actually useful.

"I need to go get something when I come back, we're getting out." Ianto was rigid and still. Jack knew for a fact the archivist was hiding something.

"Get what, Ianto?" Jack was staring at him suspiciously.

"Do you trust me, sir?" Ianto asked carefully. Jack looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Right now? Not sure." Yeah, Jack supposed he wasn't completely honest there, but after everything that had happened being left in the dark wasn't tempting. Ianto looked down, suddenly looking very depressed.

"Right supposed I deserve that. I'm going to need the gun." After a slightly awkward pause he added a "sir."

Jack stared at him in disbelief, not sure if he was willing to give up his weapon now. Ianto looked more nervous than he had ever seen him, but was still obviously not going to tell him much. That generally meant, if their Ianto really was back; Jack wouldn't like the plan. After a few moments the captain realized didn't have much choice. He handed the gun to Ianto, without him he was never getting out anyway and what use was one gun against all those mercenaries.

"I'll hurry back." Ianto muttered before leaving. When around the corner Ianto released a deep breath he didn't know he had held. He hated having to use Jack like this, but he had little choice, if he was going to get out he needed bait.

* * *

Jack sat slumped to the wall. Ianto had been gone a good 10 minutes when Jack started to worry. Maybe it was all a trick after all, but to what end? Spring him out just so Suzie could capture him again. If he just wanted to an excuse to shoot him a couple more times he could have done that in the cell. Suzie probably wouldn't have minded. Besides the look on Ianto's face when Jack had believed him, he wanted to help, he was his old self again. Jack had no doubt of that. What if he had gotten hurt, or captured. Panic started rising in Jack. He started getting up when his head snapped to the sound of a females voice at the door.

"Hello again Jack, hiding in a corner is not really like you." There were two guards pointing automatics at him and right behind them Suzie was standing, with a smug smirk on her face.

"Well you know me Suzie. I'm full of surprises." Jack was very worried, after all this wasn't going to well, but he still managed to force a small smile of his own.

"So am I." Suzie tried turning, but was held firmly in place as an arm snaked around her waist and a gun put to her head. Both her guards turned to aim at the sudden intruder who spoke quickly to discourage any stupid actions from the guards. "Drop them, or your payday gets postponed."

"Ianto, what took you so long?" Jack said in glee watching the guards slowly putting their weapons on the ground. He took a gun out of one of the guard's holsters.

"Sorry sir, it took Suzie longer than I thought to find us using her cameras." Ianto looked at Jack with an apologetic smile from over his hostage's shoulder. Jack turned his head to the guards.

"Okay boys, against the wall, and no funny business." Jack said as he pointed the gun at them. As they complied he looked back at Ianto with a smirk. "I was starting to worry you found a prettier face to rescue." He then used the gun to knock out the guards who both fell heavily to the ground.

"Sadly there's a rather limited selection around here." Ianto started leading Suzie down the hallway as Jack took the lead. He spoke directions to Jack quickly. "Straight ahead and take a left." They had a few moments of silence before Jack spoke up again.

"So, I was bait then." Jack stated. Ianto couldn't decide if he sounded impressed or disappointed. He hoped for the first.

"I noticed the cameras on the way here and made sure we passed by a couple of them, I knew Suzie would want to apprehend you herself."

"Told you I was too handsome to be ignored for long." Jack said, as he turned to wink at Ianto before rounding the corner. Also catching Suzie doing an eye-roll. After several more corners they wound up in a sort of office. Considering the single desk in the middle of the room and the feminine touches Jack assumed it was Suzie's. Although besides the nice paintings and the flowers on the desk, it was still plain white and almost sterile looking. Just like his little cell actually. The Greek looking statue of a female behind the desk was a nice touch though. Why couldn't he have gotten one of those? He turned as he heard Ianto starting to speak behind him.

"Suzie, if you wouldn't mind we need to know where the exit is." After hearing Ianto speak Jack raised his eyebrows in confusion. Suzie was staring straight down with a clenched jaw, obviously not inclined to answer.

"Ehm, Ianto, are you forgetting things again? Exit is that way, remember?" Jack gestured towards the way they had just came and Ianto turned his head slightly towards him.

"One exit is that way. Suzie has a secondary, when I looked up the blueprints I also checked some of the cameras. From what I could tell she always comes here at the end of her day, not to the lift."

"Sneaky." Jack smirked and earned a warm smile from Ianto.

"Thank you, sir, I try."

Jack the stepped closer and stared at Suzie in what he hoped looked menacing.

"Okay then, Suzie, time to show us the secret entrance to your bat cave or I will bring you with us when we do finally get out of here and make you and Janet cell mates." Jack's easy tone actually made it sound a bit scary. Ianto found himself being slightly impressed as Suzie gulped.

"You wouldn't." She replied, but didn't sound sure at all. Jack shrugged lazily.

"Can't help it; guess dying repeatedly makes me a little cranky. Besides you need some lessons in manners." Jack almost growled out the last part of the sentence. It had been a long bad day for Jack and he was very impatient to get out of here. Also it would be nice to get some real clothes on sometime today. Suzie narrowed her eyes and scanned his face carefully, looking for any sign of his bluff. Not so pleased with what she saw, she exhaled deeply, before admitting in defeat.

"There's a button beneath the vase."

Jack moved over to her desk and moved the vase, sure thing, a button. When he pressed it the statue started moving backwards and the roof above it opened. It was barely enough to fit the three of them, if they squeezed tightly together that is. It was obviously built for one person. As they passed by the desk on the way to the lift, Suzie grabbed the vase and slammed it over her shoulder into Ianto's face. She then threw it towards Jack. He ducked, but she had taken advantage of Ianto's disorientation to take his gun. When Jack looked back at her he saw her point it at the archivists' chest. Wild fury written all over her face. Ianto was not sure who shot first. What he knew was that his chest was hurting. And warm blood was dripping down his face. Suzie slumped lifelessly to the ground in front of him. Looking down Ianto noticed his shirt turning slowly red. He felt himself falling to his knees as all strength began leaving his body and he was vaguely hearing someone call out his name. Before darkness fully consumed him he heard himself mutter a soft apology.


	13. Of red and blue

Author Note: We're getting very close to the ending now. This will be the second last chapter. I'm actually dreading to have to finish this and put it away, I guess that means I've enjoyed the ride. Hope you have as well :)

¤*'

* * *

Jack ran over and ignored the pain in his knees as they slammed to the ground next to Ianto. He quickly tore his shirt of over his head. Movement in Ianto's lips told him the man had said something, but Jack's pulse was beating to hard for him to be able to focus on it. He lifted Ianto's bloodied shirt and looked under before stuffing the white fabric in his hand under and over the bullet hole. Jack used one hand to feel under Ianto's back. When it withdrew Jack let out a heavy breath. The bullet hadn't gotten clean trough. That might mean complications later, but lessened the bleeding considerably. Ianto's shirt was tight enough so with the help of Jack own shirt it would work as a sort of tourniquet. It might at least give Jack time to save him. Looking down at the shabby excuse of a tourniquet Jack realized as much as he hated the whiteness of this place, red was much much worse.

This feeling became amplified when red emergency lamps came out from the walls and begun blinking brightly at the same time as the standard lights from before gave out leaving them all in the red glow. A loud alarm was triggered as well, they must have found the knocked-out guards. He shifted his position a bit before bringing his arms under Ianto to lift him. The unconscious man was full-grown and very heavy; Jack wouldn't be able to carry him for long. He didn't need to though. All he needed was out and up on the street. His arms and knees hurt with the effort, but Jack was determined. He wouldn't let Ianto die down her, It simply wasn't an option. He moved wobbly to the elevator and leaned against the simple metal raining on the edges for support. It creaked under the weight. Yes, something in the back of his head was screaming about the vast amounts of alien artifacts that could be here. If he left now, those would be lost and who knew was they'd end up. Alien tech could end up with a range of different military groups when the mercenaries realized their boss was dead and ran of with what they could carry. Jack couldn't for the life of him bring himself to care about the chaos that was sure to follow.

The elevator ride was automatic and quick, but to Jack it still lasted to long. A few seconds could be all that stood between Ianto and death. When it stopped the wall in front of them slid to the side. If he wasn't so preoccupied with the blood that was beginning to seep on to his own skin he would have commended Suzie for a well camouflaged exit. He stepped out into a dirty ally before turning towards what looked like a proper street. Seeing people and cars a head he began moving as quickly as he could, which wasn't even a jog. His arms were getting tired and his knees protesting with every step. Thought the fabrics on Ianto's chest Jack couldn't feel the heartbeat and he started feeling desperate. ___Just a few more steps now, hold on. _When he finally reached the street several people jumped away. An elderly woman gave an ear wrenching scream while the rest stared shocked at the scene in front of them. Jack dropped to the knees and heaved heavily for breath before forcing out a few raspy words. Ambulance being one of them. Someone seemed to have gotten out of the shocked state and several people pulled out their phones. Jack looked down at the bloody mess in front of him. He gave into his arms desperate need for release and lowered Ianto to the ground, his head and upper back resting on Jacks knees.

A young woman from the crowed came forth and sat down opposite to Jack putting both her hands on the improvised tourniquet to provide pressure. Jack barely registered her actions, as she spoke he hardly caught a word except for her being a nurse. She said things that were meant to sooth, but Jack felt too hopeless to care. He simply stared down at the broken mess of Ianto Jones. The far to pale skin, dry lips around a half-open mouth and the red blood still dripping down from his forehead. He placed his palm on the other mans neck. Partly to check for a pulse, partly for as much physical contact as possible. He was aware the nurse woman probably already had checked for a pulse, but Jack needed to feel it himself. The weak but steady pulse thumped under his touch, but the skin had turned much colder that it should. The conflicted emotions rushing through him made him feel nauseous. Hope and hopelessness were battling within him. He leaned down until their foreheads touched and began repeating the younger mans name over and over. A mantra he couldn't make himself stop. He would give anything for Ianto to answer. Any simple gesture to tell him Ianto was still fighting. To Jack he was a one out of a million type of person. He had lived lifetimes meeting different people. As a time agent he had met thousands of people from dozens of different timelines. He had seen numerous alien species and creatures from different worlds. All this and he had ever only met one Ianto Jones and would probably never meet another. Even if they never said it Jack wanted to be able to show Ianto just how much he meant to him and he refused to let go just yet. Even when the ambulance arrived Jack kept on with his mantra while the paramedics shot him looks of pity.

* * *

Tired eyes opened slowly revealing bright blue orbs on a tired pale face. He was lying on his back and the first thing he was faced with was the pure white roof. Even this room that obviously had no lighting the white stood out like a sore nail. How sick and tired he was of white. When he eventually returned to his apartment first priority would be a complete paint job. Bye bye classy neutral colors, hello rainbow rooms. Annoyance was climbing within him while he stared hatefully at the current scenery.

Trying to shift didn't help much as he was then faced with pains rippling thought his back. He stiffed the pained groan and all that came out was a weak sigh. An eerie silence soon filled the room. The only sound was his breathing. Despite his necks creaky objections he turned his head carefully to the left; towards the only source of light available. A large window gave him a full view of the outside world, which at the moment seemed to be sleeping as soundly as he probably should have. A dark littered parking lot, some smaller buildings and beyond that a large empty park that stretched out as far as his sight managed to focus. The moon was still up and around it millions of small stars were blinking softly out-of-order. The small little blinks were soothing as they reminded him of home. Not the small apartment he had spent so little time in as it was, but the secret science fiction base hidden away under Roald Dahl Plass.

He had never appreciated that place much. It had been work; yes necessary work, but still just work. It also held so many memories he had dreaded to face everyday he came to start a productive day. For so long he had hurt inside. The faces of the people lost refusing to leave him be. The man he was slowly falling in love with joined those faces and he began feeling like he was breaking. He had reasoned with himself. Told himself all the practical reasons of why he wanted to find a real life. In truth, as he realized now, he had been running away. He kept staring at the small lights outside the window like they were his only life line. Before this started he had told himself he had no connection to his family, no real friend and lost the chance to love. So focused on what he had lost he had run away and forgotten about the things he had. When his memory returned to him he had begun seeing things he hadn't before. All those things he now wished he had treasured. As sappy as it sounded the people of the hub was always apart of one another. They could share and tell each other everything, expect forgiveness for their mistakes and always have a place to return to. That was friendship and family. Their little underground base with all its secrets and blinking lights had been home. He had been lost, but the hub was home for those kinds. The place held creatures lost from a bunch of different timelines. How were his losses so different from theirs?

The people he had held so highly might have forgiven him, that's what they always did, but he had still chosen to leave and now he was alone. His eyes began stinging and his vision turned blurry when moisture began gathering in the corners of his eyes. He tried blinking it away, the blinking lights were all he had left now and he wanted to watch them for as long as he still managed keeping his eyes open. Tired watered eyes kept gazing out the widow, but he was far to tired to keep it up for long. Minutes passed and then the eerie silence followed him into his dreams. He wondered vaguely if he'd ever see them again while he laid there, bathed in the blue lights from the night sky and surrounded by white walls.


	14. Finding time for laughter

Ianto woke to noise, lots of it. There were laughing to his right and two female voices chatting away to his left. So much for the curtsey of letting a patient rest. His head was far too groggy for him to make much out of it though. He groaned while someone kept banging on some very large drums in his head. He was in a hospital right? That should mean painkillers. The sharp scent of disinfectant filled the air and as much as he disliked that, it was better than the fresh paint smell at SCT. Buildings shouldn't constantly smell of paint it made them feel to new. Ianto liked old buildings that had held lifetimes of history. Disinfectant made him think of all the people who had traveled through in hope or despair as their life were on the line, old wood made him think of the lives people had experienced. Paint was just a cover-up, cover up all the history and start a clean slate. As much as he wanted a clean slate losing all the experiences and history wasn't worth it. Ianto Jones didn't want to forget, he just hoped he would at least have that choice.

He dragged his hand to his head, it felt weak, and tried rubbing the sleep out of his face. The light stubble itched his cold fingers. The rest of his body wasn't much better. He tried shifting a bit and his sore muscles protested sharply. It seemed they had gotten a little too used to lying still. Another sigh filled the quiet room. Wait, quiet? He furrowed his eyebrows and strained his hearing to pick up on the smallest sounds. Several people were in the room, revealed by unsynchronized low breathing and some whispering by the door at his right. There was of course a much easier way to figure out who was in the room, but Ianto had only now realized he still had his eyes closed. Now that he had realized he was a little scared to face the crowd without Intel on the future proceedings. There was only so much he could do in a hospital bed with his eyes closed though. He opened them slowly since they felt a bit sticky, which was very uncomfortable. The room was slightly blurry at first as he peered out through half-open eyes. He managed to make out the two shapes by the door, Owen and a man in a white doctors coat. They were whispering, he noticed their lips moving, but Ianto still couldn't make out the words; Still In a slight daze. The doctor turned towards him and raised his eyebrows high when he noticed him being awake.

"Ianto Jones, awake at last. How do ye feel?" The doctor spoke loudly and briefly looked at the monitor Ianto was hooked up to before coming over giving his patient his full attention. The heavy Scottish accent with the rolling 'r's confused Ianto for a moment. Waiting for an answer the doctor proceeded with coming over and checking his pupils with the little medical penlight. Ianto flinched at the intrusive light, but the doctor held his head and eyelid still with his other arm.

"Like I've been shot." Ianto mumbled, before coughing a bit to clear his throat.

"No problem with the short-term memory I see that's good was a wee bit worried about that. Head trauma can be very unpredictable. Ye people are very resilient, ye know that?"

"Plural?" At Ianto's confused tone the doctor nodded towards the window. Ianto followed his gaze and saw Tosh with a worried little smile on her face. Next to her was an uncomfortable looking Gwen looking everywhere, but at him and fidgeting with her sleeve.

"She came in much the same condition as ye, only minus the bullet hole. An' the lass behind me here seem to have been in a scuffle as well. I'm doctor McBeck" The man spoke with a warm smile on his face.

Ianto gave a slight nod, still felling groggy and worn.

"Ye had quite the experience there Mr. Jones, but yer making a full recovery. The bullet hole is healing nicely an' the head trauma caused no internal injuries, to be quite honest yer doing far better than expected." He looked down at the hospital chart with pride endowing his features before looking up with a grin on his face. He quickly continued talking however in a more serious tone.

"Still I want ye in the hospital for another three days an' back for checkups once a week after that. Three wee weeks an' we'll remove yer stitches an' ye will be back to normal." The doctor tore a paper sheet of his chart and turned back to Owen to hand it over before leaving the room. Owen walked over slowly staring at the paper and sighing softly.

"You mate are going to be on some heavy medication for the next couple of weeks. And only light duty at work, no going into the field." He raised his head and stared strictly at Ianto, who felt like he was being given a slap on the hand by an overworked parent. Not that he minded, Ianto had been prepared to beg and annoy until he got his job back, if it was at all possible, but Owen seemed to take it as expected. He gaped at Owen before recollecting from the shock and shut his mouth. The white patch on Owens forehead made Ianto flinch again as he remembered his actions when he visited the hub.

"About before at the hub, I'm really…" Owen cut Ianto of before he could continue, that was more expected. The Torchwood doctor had never fancied talking about such much.

"Forget it, just…" Owen sighed lightly before continuing. "You're ready to be back at work at Monday and when you show up you're going to make us all some bloody good coffee, got it mate?" He emphasized on bloody and gave a strict glare. Ianto gave another quick nod; he was getting fairly used to simply replying in the yes-sir manner.

"Now get some rest teaboy, doctors orders." Owen gave him a quick pat on the shoulder before he headed out the door. Passing by Jack who immediately froze upon noticing Ianto was awake. Jack's reaction made Ianto's stomach clench; now he was really worried. In the end of the day if Ianto returned to Torchwood or not it was Jack's decision. He let his gaze drop as the room fell into silence. Until the click of heals came from his left. Sure he knew it was Gwen and Tosh, but for a moment his mind flashed to memories. First to smiling naive Madison trying so hard to help him. Then to Suzie and the feral look on her face before she pulled the trigger. The last month so much had happened and so much blood had been spilled. A lot of it had been his fault. Jack had acted like everything was fine after figuring out Ianto's memory had returned when Jack was capture, but he had little choice at the time. Now he did and Ianto was terrified of what he would decide. A light feminine hand on his shoulder made him look back up. Tosh was smiling carefully down at him with question in her eyes.

"You're coming back, right?" She looked as nervous as he felt.

"If I can, of course." He smiled back up at her, the first smile since he had woken up here. She looked relived and threw herself down at him for a hug. Ianto inhaled sharply as the force of the impact reminded him of why he was in a hospital. his chest stung and for a moment he found it hard to breath. Still the scent of jasmine on her made him smile anyway. She pulled back sharply with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, I forgot, are you okay?" She hurriedly asked stumbling over her words as she went.

"I'm fine." Ianto reached out and grabbed one of her hands staring straight into her eyes. Wishing he could convey as much of the gratitude he was feeling as possible. She was one of his closest friend and her welcoming him back and worrying about him meant more than she would probably ever see. Tosh always used to underestimate herself and how much she mattered. "Thank you"

A warm smile graced her face and to some extent she looked like she understood.

"See you on Monday." She replied quietly before shooting Jack a warning glare, who looked more at ease now.

"I'm glad you'll be okay." Gwen reached over and patted his hand from Tosh's side. Ianto let go and the girls started leaving. When they passed by Jack Gwen mumbled threateningly 'be nice' and Tosh gave their boss one last glare. Ianto shook his head as Jack suddenly looked like a gleeful child plotting to disobey.

"They really should know better than to bait you by now." Ianto mumbled softly.

"It's the face, to sweet and reasonable, fools everyone." Jack grinned brightly. Ianto rolled his eyes, Jack might live forever, but he would never change. Ianto actually liked that about Jack, no matter how fast the world would alter and spin some things would always be familiar.

"So, are you?" Jack's question made Ianto frown, he had no idea what that meant.

"What?" Yes, not his best reply ever, but Ianto was fairly certain head trauma and a bullet hole could excuse him. He stared dumb folded up at Jack. Jack sighed as his grin was replaced by a weak smile.

"Are you coming back?" Jack clarified and Ianto felt the thumping in his head return. Jack was asking him? After everything Ianto had done Jack was saying it was his choice? Ianto didn't know what to say, to be fairly honest he felt a bit like crying. Waking up he had never expected this; First Owen, then Gwen and Tosh. Now Jack. He was so happy he felt like bursting. Jack misinterpreted his silence and became increasingly worried himself.

"If you want to leave, I will leave you alone. Starting now. No wait, when you're out of the hospital. After everything I wouldn't want to leave you alone without a guard until you're back on your feet. I don't snore so I won't disturb your beauty sleep much; at least I haven't the last couple of nights. Look, you're still a beauty so no worries there." Jack spoke quickly and gave a small nervous laugh in the middle. He mentally kicked himself for sounding like a thirteen year old with a crush, but he was still bothered by the lack of response making it increasingly hard to keep his thoughts straight. However something in his rapid speech caught Ianto's attention.

"Wait, you've been here? But I woke up and no one was here."

"Must have been out for coffee. The stuff they serve here is probably not meant for humans, but it has caffeine." Jack shrugged, but made a weird grimace probably meant to convey just how bad the coffee was. Ianto felt even happier, he thought they wouldn't come back, but someone had actually been here all along. Jack took a deep breath before repeating his question. Although to his surprise this time the answer was nearly immediate.

"Yes! Yes, I'm coming back." After a deep breath Ianto mumbled again, more to himself this time. "I'm coming back."

Jack grinned widely again and his eyes glinted with mischief. He leaned in and let their lips meet. It was soft and careful, but Ianto still felt their stubble rub together and leaned a bit up to put more force into it. Jack wasn't known for forgetting to shave. Ianto smiled into their kiss, he must have been worried. He inhaled the scent of bad coffee clinging to Jack's coat. He was planning to go on a coffee strike for a while. He would serve the others, but after what the drug had messed up he wouldn't be able to stomach any himself for a week or so. First priority when coming back would be washing that coat and get rid of the god awful smell. He groaned when he disconnected from the kiss and let his head hit the pillow again as a though hit him.

"So exactly what state will the hub be in when I return?" Jack literally paled for a moment and Ianto found himself laughing loudly. He laughed until he felt tears sting in his eyes as he finally got an outlet for every piece of worry and happiness. Once he finally managed to calm down another thought crossed his mind while he stared up into Jack's crystal clear blue eyes. It was good to be home.

* * *

When Monday came the rift activity alarm rang in the hub and across town on the top of a parking house an orange glow began forming. It spread outwards creating a large circle and out of the glow itself walked a man. His clothes seemed caught from out of time. The red jacket seemed stolen from the times of Napoleon. He wore high leather boots and a katana like sword. He looked around with an extremely bored expression on his face before noticing something that piqued his interest. Robbery in progress by the end of the roof. He began making his way over thinking maybe this time period could be some fun after all. When he was done here he could make some noise, maybe at a bar, and lure out an old partner. He smirked subtly before reaching the two in a scuffle on the rooftop, time for some blood and alcohol.


End file.
